The Royal Flush
by Tuhawesomeclank
Summary: When stacked against all odds you have to go all in, right? After a serious blackout, Tai Rychtoven has to move to Japan and into Yamaku Academy. His previous life completely abandoned, Tai has high hopes of this new set of events. Will he be able to assimilate with these new sets of people? Will he find love ever again? OC story, no pairings until later. May contain some OOC.
1. Prologue: A New Deck: Insulin, Gateways

**Author's Notes:**

_**Katawa Shoujo is owned by Four Leaf Studios. I do not own a single thing. This is a non-profit fan-made story. Viewer Discretion is not generally advised.**_

_Tenshi: This may sound common but while I was playing this game, I had the feels! Each story arc was pretty deep, although the one that affected me the most was Rin's arc. But I'm pretty sure you didn't come here to read my ramblings so let's not waste any more time!_

Many of my friends used to say that a bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush. Well, not many of them said that but you get the point.

In the end... I probably shouldn't have took it for granted.

My thoughts are interrupted by a sharp jab in my triceps. I turn over to my right to see the attacker. It's Isaac, my brother. I can obviously tell by his short and straight black hair and his green business suit. He always did like green.

"Hey, we're landing soon, look!" He says quietly before pointing to the window beside him. I lean over to look and—through the clouds—I can barely see multiple buildings and patches of green spread out in different locations. Guess it's still early in the morning.

Sitting back down in my seat, I check my pocket watch for the time. After a bit of deciphering with the watch's analog system, the gold accessory revealed that it is only four o'clock in the morning. Guess I didn't have a good night's sleep, but neither did my brother too apparently.

"You all right, Tai? You look a bit groggy." Isaac asks with an uncertain look on his face. I'm not much of a morning person, especially when you're sleeping in a chair for about ten hours. Hell, I'm pretty sure I got a blood clot from this flight.

I nod slowly and absentmindedly before yawning, "Just give me a few seconds to recollect my thoughts." Replying with a firm nod, Issac turns his head to the window while resting his head on his hand. I shake my head briefly and vigorously. It gets me a little dizzy but it woke me up. Probably should have tried the splash of cold water in the face thing, would've been better.

My name's Tai Rychtoven. Now I know that you're probably thinking about my odd and obviously non-Japanese name. I'm half-Irish and half-German. Before you make any assumptions, no I'm not from Ireland or Europe; I was born in the United States—more specifically, Hawaii. I've heard many people claim that it's like a paradise there, but it isn't; it's hot as hell over there and some of the people there are just plain crazy.

I should probably also explain why I'm on a plane as well. First off, my brother and I are headed to Japan, the birth place of anime and manga. Guess it's not really much of a surprise that I would have ended up here, I took many Japanese classes and had to tutor myself through it. Not to mention, my brother and I are pretty much big anime fans. I could name many of the ones I watch, but I'm starting to get sidetracked.

Now as for why I'm leaving is pretty coincidental; My brother's a lawyer—and a pretty honored one at that—and he was offered a position under a large business, whose name escapes me at the moment, by a friend of his. As for me going, well... I got sort of suspended at my previous school.

I'm gonna say this now because I know it's going to come up as a problem sooner or later, but I have a heavy gambling addiction. And I mean HEAVY. My father taught me how to play 'Texas Hold 'Em', and it expanded from there. Unfortunately, my school isn't all for gambling, but they never said we could do it after school. Sometimes I absentmindedly bet things on daily routines like when one of my friends forgets to do their homework, or on what lesson one of my classes are having and how long it takes for most of them to just turn into zombie mode. I guess it gave me comfort to know that I always win the latter against any of my classmates, especially when they try their hardest to listen.

Anyways, one day this big lug—and I mean big as in he could probably bench press a car—decided to challenge me to a match of Texas Hold 'Em, claiming that he was the best at his local casino his family owned. Honestly I never heard of his family or casino ever before, but whatever boosted his self-esteem didn't matter to me.

Most of the students of my high school always knew me as a master of card games or as that quiet nerd. I like to think it's the former but I can't deny the latter. It also didn't help when that cocky brute referred to me as my secondary title. Oh well, joke's on him since I heard that he had flunked about three times. I bet you that the next time I'll see him is when he's passing me my cheeseburger.

So after school we had our little poker match. I would have like to say that it was a close game out of pity for the poor guy, but I won't; I ended up beating him quite easily, with a royal flush as my final hand. Such lucky hands should be rewarded with recognition, but not to this brute, oh no. Instead I get the lovely result of a steroid-induced crybaby accusing me of being a scoundrel to the regulations. Challenging his assumption, I took him up on his accusation, even betting some of my money on it. What can I say, I was arrogant.

With a sinister smile he ordered one of his 'gang'—if you could even call his posse a gang—members to inspect me. Surely enough, they found about five cards inside both of my outer jacket pockets. It didn't take freakin' Sherlock Holmes to deduce that they were planted because the corners of the cards weren't firmly bent like the ones that were in the deck we were using. Of course I told them as much but their thick skulls couldn't comprehend logical speech, so the arrogant brute challenged me to a duel—or a 'scrap' as many of them referred it to.

Most obviously I tried to refuse, but seeing the other 'gang' members starting to circle us made me realize how futile the attempt of a negotiation was, so I had no other choice but to fight. Thanks to some martial art classes, I was able to defend myself and beat him—possibly causing a few broken bones too. Of course his friends would come to help and try to jump me in the middle of the fray, but they were also rewarded with the same gift I gave to the brute. But then, it happened.

What happened then was a bit of a blur but from what some of my friends were saying was that I was having some kind of seizure. I wasn't sure if it was from the heat or dehydration, but my curiosity was satisfied—maybe satisfied isn't the best word, but more like fulfilled—when the doctor told me I had hypoglycemia. It's an interesting word, one I would definitely like to have in my vocabulary. Basically my blood sugar was low, so low to the point I had a seizure and blacked out. The doctor explained this further by saying I have insulinoma, a rare condition for young people to have.

Apparently I had this tumor in my pancreas that secretes insulin, thus dropping my blood sugar level. My body must have gone into shock at the sudden reduction and it got low enough for me to strike into an immediate coma. They also said that I have cancer due to the tumor. Supposedly it was benign until it just had to become malignant during my diet. So now the doctors are probably still scouring to find a cure, but they conducted chemotherapy so I can live a little longer. I know it's not for much longer, but it's something. Not to mention my medication will at least keep me from blacking out.

During my time in that hospital, many came to see me, but it dwindled down over time until it was only my closest friends that would come once or twice a week. Hell, not even my girlfriend came to see me on even day 1.

I should probably explain who she is; she was an old friend from back in elementary. Her name was Naomi. We didn't talk much, but when we saw each other we would engage in small, yet eventful, conversations. She meant so much to me that I started liking her through middle school and early high school. After breaking the friendzone, we finally dated during our 2nd year. She was with me for almost everything, my birthdays, poker matches, and even during our lunch breaks; Heck, she even went to the poker match that the brute and I had. I thought we had something special. But no one ever has the same hand as you.

It only took me a week to figure out she was the one who planted the cards on me, that she was only in it for the money that I would get at these mock tournaments. Not to mention she was probably the one who stole my wallet too. I got so angry at the revelation that I stopped playing cards and started venting my feelings on archery. It's relaxing, peaceful, and very competitive. It was just my kind of game. Speaking of games, I also love playing video games-

The planes sudden landing catches me off-guard and I almost jerk forward from the propulsion. Coming to my senses, I just brace myself in case this plane's going to crash. I don't like gambling with my life.

* * *

After taking awhile to get off the plane and get our luggage, we finally make it outside of the airport. It's still pretty early, like around 6-ish, so we decide to try and figure out where the closest car shop is so my brother could buy one to use from now on.

"When do you think the taxi comes by?" Isaac asks me, his eyes still glued to the map.

"Dude, I don't even think the taxi man wakes up this early, especially on a Monday." I retort. I realize that this isn't the best sarcastic response I made, but it was enough to get Issac to chuckle.

"Yeah, no one likes Mondays." Our conversation ends off there as we sit patiently on a bench, waiting for any kind of taxi driver to come up. Issac yawns loudly and smacks his lips before groaning, "I could go for a cup of coffee right now..."

"Really, you're more of a beer person to me." I sarcastically respond, trying to lighten up the boring mood. Although it may seem to be awkward attempts of small talk, it stills interests my brother to enjoy my company. At least, he better enjoy my company.

"You're no worse for wear, Mr. Sake." Issac says as he glares jokingly at me. It's actually kind of true though, I've tried wine quite frequently even though I'm under-aged. But my brother gives me consent since he's the usually the only one who supervises. The strength of beer and liquor was too strong for my tastes, so I stuck with wine. Although my brother prefers the first two.

"It's not like you-" My argument is cut short when my brother's phone rings. He puts up a hand to command me to stop and I abide by the action. It's by then that I notice that we've been talking in English as opposed to Japanese, which is obviously the norm. But that's obviously because Isaac hasn't learned as much Japanese as I did, thus hindering his Japanese vocabulary. Granted he knows quite a few words and phrases, but he definitely can't speak fluent Japanese.

Issac's phone closing catches my attention that he is done with his conversation. As if by impulse I ask him, "Who was it?"

"It was Akira. Akira Satou, remember?" I could barely remember that name, maybe she's a friend? Well obviously, idiot, why else would she have his number? In the end, my brain fails to find any remembrance to that name so I give a shrug.

"Remind me."

"She's a friend of mine? Lawyer? Offered me the job position?" Issac questions, trying to trigger my brain's gears to start working. As if he planned it, I actually remember. She came by the house one day to celebrate my birthday, most likely invited by my brother. In fact, if I remember correctly, she was the reason I got into drinking alcohol. Oh well, I'm gonna have to thank her for that when we meet.

"Yeah I remember, got me interested into drinking. What'd she say?" Remember when I said I don't like gambling with my life, well, drinking alcohol isn't really a gamble for me. That's mostly because I can control myself into drinking moderately... Oh who am I kidding? I just do it because I like to. Helps me vent.

"She's coming by to pick us up. Possibly in a few minutes." At this, Issac folds up his map into a small and barely containable square. He was always on about keeping things neat, so I wouldn't be surprised to find out his whole luggage is like a tetris puzzle.

For about ten minutes, we just sit in silence, occasionally me cracking my knuckles echoing in the air. Naomi was always on about how doing said action would give me arthritis. It makes me chuckle thinking about it since my brother also cracks his knuckles, but it also brings up some memories I don't want to remember. God, I got to stop thinking about the past.

A car veering up towards us catches my attention. In unison, my brother and I stand up, as if the President was in that car. It it only reveals to be a blonde female with red eyes and a black business suit. I can see that her expression is tired, especially since she seems to slouch a little and her eyes are about half-open.

As she approaches us her expression seems to brighten up, with her back straightening up and the slight grin on her face. I recognize this face. It's definitely the face of Akira.

"Yo, Isaac." She says. Surprisingly, she's speaking English. I can't help but open my eyes wide in astonishment. She notices me and starts laughing before punching me playfully in the shoulder. "Surprised to see me again, Tai Chi?" Oh God, not that name again. I had started doing martial arts, like I've already stated before, and Akira was the first to know. Somehow, as I started to tell my friends about me doing martial arts, they always guessed it was Tai Chi first. It was most obviously a joke, and I can't help but think that Akira or Isaac might have started it all.

"More surprised by the fact that you're speaking English." I retort.

_"Hey, it's not like I've spoken to you in any other language yet, right?"_ She jokingly asks. As if to add into the effect, she said it in Japanese. Very clever, but I know your tricks.

_"Oh, but you just did."_ I retort with a cocked eyebrow, waiting for her next move. It's like playing a game of poker with this woman, you never know what she's thinking or what she's up to next.

"Hah! It's good to see you've caught up on your studies." Akira says with a joyous laugh. I turn to see Isaac, whose face is in bewilderment at the sudden kamikaze language switch. I was right to guess his language barrier in Japanese wasn't broken down.

"Yeah, uh, what just happened?" He asks. He probably gave up trying to translate it. Figures.

"Oh nothing, just a quick quiz on Japanese." I say. Diverting my eyes away as if nothing happened. That's when I realized that Akira is holding a paper bag in her hands. I wonder why I didn't hear it before, since now it's making a lot of crinkling noises as she swings it slightly. It may have something to do with the fact that I have my earphones on, but I digress. "Hey is that my birthday present from last year?" I sarcastically inquire. Akira chuckles before raising the bag up to her chest level. It looks quite heavy by the way she raised it.

"Aren't you observant? It's actually a little welcoming gift from me to both of you, but I don't think you would like it very much, huh Isaac?" Once Issac's name was mentioned, he looked as if he was pulled out of a trance.

"Huh? What?" Issac quickly asks, obviously not listening before. Akira and I both chuckle at the reaction. I feel a little bad about it, but then again it's my brother and he probably won't hold it against me.

"Just a little gift from me to the two of you." Akira repeats herself, showing the contents in the bag by expanding the hole for Isaac to see. He peers into the bag, inspecting it for a few seconds before giving a dismissive wave.

"Not really my kind of drink, obviously more for Tai." Isaac says. I bet it's wine. I'd go all in for it. Akira hands me the bag and I take it by the bottom. The bag obviously has a heavy amount of items in it, almost causing me to drop it by the sudden weight. I gotta stop being so careless.

I reach in the bag and feel the neck of a glass bottle. I slowly pull it out, only revealing about half of it out of the bag. Yep, wine. Knew it. I gently place it back in and tightly grasp the bag.

"Heard about your pancreas, thought it might ease your mind for a bit." Akira explains while giving a smile, probably waiting for my reaction. I can't help but feel how funny it is that she gives me alcohol and expects it to ease my condition.

"Ironic, seeing as how it could be my downfall." I jest. It seems a little cynical and pessimistic, but I know Akira can handle more than a joke or two. "But thanks, I'll be sure to finish it."

"I know you will." Akira snickers before turning Isaac, who actually looks as though he didn't space out. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's go." Isaac says, his mood apparently brightened. I guess he was able to escape from the zombie faze. I'm just barely out of it; my brain isn't functional enough to formulate an actually witty response. Akira looks over to me to see my approval. I just simply nod before she leads us to her car.

* * *

Never have I felt so comfortable in a car before. Except for the sudden pot hole that jolted my senses just a few moments ago. It's like some supernatural force is trying their best to get me sleep deprived. Akira noticed my surprise and laughed. My mind is too groggy to register her outburst, so I absentmindedly stare outside the window, my face almost leaning against it.

Many buildings take up the vision outside, but the sun was still bright enough to make me cringe and back away from the window. I slowly take a look at my pocket watch, my blurry vision still trying to align from the rude awakening. After a few seconds, the watch revealed the time to be nearing 7:45. Damn, we've been here for about an hour now. I look back at Akira, who seems to be rather awake. It's probably because of the coffee that's in the cup holder. Man, coffee. I could use something to heighten my senses right about now.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty!" Akira says with a smile on her face. "From the way you passed out, I'm guessing you didn't have a good night's sleep on the plane?"

"Was about as comfortable as sleeping on a pile of needles." I joke. Oh goodness, not needles. That brings back some painful memories.

"The car or the plane?" Isaac inquires. Isn't it obvious? Does the leather sunk-in chairs not give it away?

"Definitely the car." I jeer. Akira gives out a menacing glare from her rear-view mirror, and my spine tingles as I see it. Probably shouldn't have gambled with this joke.

"If you think so, you're welcome to get out and walk there." Akira's statement chills me a bit. Kind of jarring, even for just a playful insult on a car. Guess she's kind of sensitive about her prizes.

"You know I was just joking right?" I say, trying to salvage the situation. In response, she just chuckles and takes a swig of her coffee.

"Of course I know, I just like scaring you." Akira flashes a devilish smile before taking another gulp. How cruel, but I guess I deserve as much. I just chuckle a bit before turning on my MP3 and turning my gaze to the outside scenery. The buildings outside soon pass by quite quickly before the sight of an iron gate is the only still picture there. I sigh to gain my composure before turning off my MP3 and putting the earphones deep in my pocket. I make sure to put on my black fedora and to take Akira's 'present' before leaving.

I open the door and it turns out I'm actually the last one out. Isaac and Akira are helping each other take out my luggage, which seems rather difficult for the both of them.

"Damn kid, what do you keep in here? Rocks?" Akira grunts as she pulls constantly with Isaac. I can barely stifle a laugh at the sight of both of their frustration. It always was entertaining to see someone getting angry. As much as I want to put kindle into this fire, I can't really think of something that wouldn't make me sound like a jerk.

"Just some supplies that will insure my survival, that's all." That's right, this place is a boarding school, so I'm going to have to end up taking care of myself.

"Speaking of survival..." Isaac says. He slurs the statement before taking his attention back to me. He then tosses a medication bottle towards me. In surprise, I flinch a bit before reaching out towards the bottle, barely catching it. I turn it over to read the label. 'Pop two a day to reduce chance of death.' Dark, but I enjoy some dark humor. I place the medication in the paper bag before saying my thanks.

"Don't forget this either." Isaac threw another medication bottle but this time I catch it with ease. I don't bother reading examining so I just place it in the same bag.

"Gee, how could I forget my life support?" I remark. Isaac just chuckles as he continues to help Akira pull out the large luggage from the trunk. I got to help but Isaac raises his hand in dismissal. "Don't worry, we got this. Why don't you try to open the gate for us?" I nod and make my way to the gate. It's quite large and wide. I stare past it and try to peer as far as I could. The place looked empty. Probably time for class, or maybe it's just too early? Oh well, I wouldn't think otherwise from a school that was for physically disabled students. I then notice that there is a plaque to the left of the gate.

"Yamaku High." I read. I look around to see if there is a lock on the gate that I could open, but while looking I see another person at the gate. It's a guy and he's wearing the same uniform clothing as me. I guess I'm not the only new student here. I'm feeling somewhat social today so I go up to talk to him. He has short and neat brown hair, despite a little strand of hair standing up near the front. He also has brown eyes, almost similar to mines. Hm, from up close, he's pretty short. Or am I just too tall?

"Hey, what's up?" I ask. He turns to my direction and he looks at me in confusion. That's when I noticed I was talking in English. It's going to be a bit troubling to adapt. _"Sorry about that, having a bit of trouble assimilating."_ His expression then changed from confusion to a straight look.

_ "Oh, you're not from here?"_ He asks, his eyebrow raised. Surprising to hear him say that, I mean my skin's pretty toned so it should seem fairly obvious. Regardless, I decide to answer his question with formality.

_"Nope. Came from the airport just this morning. A new student. The name's Tai Rychtoven."_ I say, trying to get my introductions out of the way. I take off my fedora and bow like a gentleman. I'm not one for making big and special impressions. His eyes rise in surprise as he hears my surname. It makes me wonder how many students here are going to be able to pronounce my name correctly, only by looking at it. I would wager about only a few.

_"Oh, I see. I'm Hisao. Hisao Nakai. Pleasure to meet you, Rychtoven-san... I suppose."_ He says, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. He seems like a nice fellow. Definitely won't cause any harm even if he wanted to. A nice change of pace.

_"Pleasure's all mine, good sir."_ I say as I place my hat back on my head. At that moment Akira and Isaac come to me, Akira nearly throwing the luggage at me. She gives a frustrated look that is shown by her creeping smile of anger. Great, this is where I die.

"Next time, you're getting your own shit out of the car." She growls. My laughter is somehow contained, but I still give out a pretty amused smile.

"Oh, but there won't be a next time, will there?" I arrogantly jest. Akira seems to take it well by not snapping right then in there. It's just like messing with a shark.

"Better not be." She gives out a sigh, most likely to vent any other pent up frustration before giving a slight smile and turning to Hisao. "So I've seen you've already made friends." I can obviously tell this is a sign for an introduction. I let out a subtle sigh before switching my language to Japanese.

_"This is Hisao Nakai. We just met." _I say. I can tell he's pretty confused since Akira and I just exchanged English words. But now he seems a little caught off-guard by the sudden change of language again. Hell, it's even hard for me to keep up with.

_"Um, hey. Good to meet you..."_ Hisao trails off, obviously waiting for Akira to say her name.

_"Akira. Akira Satou."_ She then puts a hand on Issac shoulder. _"And this is Isaac, Tai's brother."_ We all find ourselves in silence before I decide to speak up.

_"So you're new here too, I'm guessing?"_ I question while giving a quizzical look. He nods and we find ourselves in silence again. The only thing that makes the sound is the rustling leaves being pushed by the breezy wind. I guess it's what usually happens around the fall time. Akira then rolls up her sleeve a bit and it reveals a watch. She reads it and pulls down her sleeve.

_"Well, it's about time we start heading out, so we'll see you later Tai, Hisao." _Akira says, also repeating it in English so Isaac could understand.

"Don't forget that you can call us, I'll send you Akira's number over text. Oh, and don't drink all that wine in one sitting, I don't want you to visit you in jail the next time I see you." Isaac says as we both shake hands. He gives a wave to the both of us as Akira leads him back to the car.

"Oh yeah, you're room number is 110! Stay safe, Tai!" She yells before shutting her car door and taking off. Hisao goes to talk with his parents, so I'm just left there by the gate waiting for him.

I can barely make out their conversation in the distance but I can see that their giving their cherished goodbyes. After Hisao's parents leave, he walks to my side. He looks a bit troubled, maybe in anguish. I don't like prying but I ask him anyways.

_"What'd they say?" _He sighs before giving a somewhat stilted grin.

_"Just our goodbyes and my dorm number."_ I nod and continue the small conversation.

_"What's your dorm number?"_

_ "119. You?"_

_ "110." _I can't help but feel that this talk is a little forced, but that's kind of the way it is when meeting new people. At least, for me it is. We both turn our gaze to the gate, which isn't opened yet. I managed to find the lock, and it was unlocked, so we're probably free to go in there and into class. I take a look at my pocket watch. It's apparently a quarter pass eight. _"When does class start?"_

_ "Eight, I think?"_ Hisao responds indifferently. I put the watch back in my pocket and grab a hold of my luggage. I turn to Hisao and do my best to give a friendly smile. I can't help but think that I'm not really the smiling type.

_"Well we should be off then."_ I say before pushing the gate slightly, the creaking of it echoing in the air.

Well, this is my new life. No more dumb mock-gambling sessions, no more beautiful lies, and no more masqueraders. I know for a fact that when I opened this gate, I have thrown out the pathetic set of my old life, and that the first step I took in here gave me a new deck, a new life, to start on.


	2. Act 1: Flop, Chapter 1: Assimilation

**Author's Notes:**

_**Katawa Shoujo is owned by Four Leaf Studios. I do not own a single thing. This is a non-profit fan-made story. Viewer Discretion is not generally advised.**_

_Tenshi: Being awakened by such a quick review got me a little encouraged to continue writing. I will also try my best into balancing out my character so he doesn't seem like an OP OC. So enjoy this next chapter._

**Tai and Hisao introduce themselves to their class, and Tai makes some new friends.**

* * *

I really wish I had a map or some kind of directions. I find myself subconsciously following Hisao while taking in the scenery of the school. The courtyard is very large and empty. I can only imagine what it's like when lunch rolls in though. Feeling the dense silence that surrounds us, I decide to start some small talk.

"So... do you know where your class is?" I ask, now changing my language switch to Japanese. Not really used to it, but it'll probably just be second-nature over time.

"Um," He pauses for a moment, recalling his memories as he slows his pace to where he's walking next to me, "I think it's room 3-3; third floor, third room. From what my folks told me, they said you have the same class as me." He told them about me? Guess it makes sense since I introduced him to Akira and Isaac. Does that mean I was transferred here earlier than him? That's the only way his parents could know, through a class roster.

"All right, that's cool. Maybe we'll end up sitting next to each other." I suggest. I mean Hisao's a cool guy and our dorms aren't that far apart, so I could end up making a quick and worthwhile friend. Or maybe not because life's a jerk like that.

"Heh, maybe." Hisao says with a small chuckle of consideration. I suddenly feel an aching pain in my arm as we make it halfway through the courtyard. Of course, it's my heavy bags of luggage that I am both wheeling and carrying. I stop in place to switch the weight to my other arm. Hisao must have noticed the abrupt halt of the wheels of my luggage since he looks over his shoulder to confirm his suspicions.

"You okay?" Hisao asks, in Japanese of course. His expression looks as if he was merely spectating rather than being actually worried. Now that I don't have to worry about saying or hearing two different languages, I can respond with much more ease.

"Yeah." I grunt as I heave up the luggage that I'm carrying so I can sling it over my shoulder. I then notice the paper bag in my left hand and decide to just put it into the luggage I'm wheeling. "Just getting a little winded from carrying this. Man, this school's big." I say as I let out a sigh to vent out the tenseness from my muscles. I realize that I haven't been working out recently. I've been in a coma for about a year and hospitalized for about another year. Of course the doctors and nurses didn't advise me to do strenuous exercises, since I was still recovering and claiming that it could trigger another attack. So in the end, I just stopped doing martial arts altogether.

"Yeah, I know." Hisao says as he turns his head right and left to look at the scenery, as if he was reassuring his statement. He takes a few steps towards me and looks at my baggage. I can't help but feel mocked as he looks at them questioningly. Maybe that's my paranoid side talking. "So are you going to take those to your dorm or..." He trails off, waiting for me to answer. It's obviously a rhetorical question to hint that I should take these to my dorm, but I decide to play along. What better way to make a friend than sarcastic responses? Probably a lot of better things, but that doesn't cross me at the moment.

"Nah, I'm just planning to sleep in the class. It'll be much easier sleeping through a lecture." I say almost nonchalantly before shaking my head. "But really, I should take this to the dorm. Do you know where it is?" I ask, scanning the area left and right, hoping it'll pop up in my vision.

"Yeah, I think it's over there. A big red building, can't miss it." Hisao says as he points his finger past and behind me a bit to the left. I turn to where his finger's pointing and see a man-made path of concrete. I turn back to him and give him a nod.

"All right, thanks. I'll see you in class, or maybe earlier if I'm fast enough." I can tell that I'll probably make it while Hisao is finishing up his introductions. Or I'll make it to the ER. I give him a short wave goodbye before I start jogging my way down the path.

* * *

After maybe a minute or two of jogging and short bursts of sprinting, I find myself hastily busting through the doors of the dorm building, almost sweating to the point of staining my clothes. I nearly forget to take my room keys from a hanger near the entrance, nearly skidding and marking the floor. I don't really care how ridiculous or how overreacting, especially when I don't bother to slow down as I would make sharp turns down the narrow hallways.

After easily finding my dorm room, I fumble a bit with the keys before I hear the sharp lock turning, which echoes throughout the hallway. I quickly open the door and rush to place my luggage in, just nearly throwing both of them in and shutting the door. I quickly lock my room before bolting out of the dorms and towards the direction of the main building. Damn, it felt like I was running to a location to defuse a bomb or something. Never have I felt so ridiculous in my entire life. Well, maybe except that one time when I accidentally punched a girl in the face while I was turning around... Yeah I always end up making a complete dork of myself.

I find myself slowly walking up the stairs, my legs feeling like they're constricting to the point where they would explode. My calf muscles feel numb and weak as jelly after each step up. Thankfully the hand rail helps me pull myself up rather than manually walking up. I really am out of shape. Can't even carry multiple sets of clothing and food. Kind of pathetic.

I really wonder why I was in such rush to get here. Was it because I didn't want to miss the lesson, or because I didn't want to have to make an introduction by myself? Either way, Hisao has probably already gotten there, so there's no use in stopping or slowing down now. Maybe he's already finished and they're all waiting for me, darting eyes at the door. Or maybe there isn't school today and that I'm just running around like an idiot. If so, I probably woke up everybody back at the dorms. Oh well, everyone has to wake up and smell the coffee.

Nearing the top of the stairs to the third floor, I can feel the sweat beading from my forehead down to my cheek. I quickly wipe it off with my sleeve and do the same for my forehead. I take a look down at my shirt to see how damp it had gotten. It's a little darkened but not enough to blatantly tell from a few feet away. After taking a big breath of air as I make the final step, I notice that my tongue is about as dry as the Sahara. I scan left and right to see if there was a water fountain anywhere, but there was none of the sort. I'm going to end up dehydrating and going back to the hospital.

I can't help but feel relieved to see that Hisao is outside of the classroom. The middle-aged man with the brown trench coat that is with him must be the teacher. Since my mouth is way too parched to say anything, I just clear my throat to get their attention. Frankly enough, it works since the middle-aged man turns his heads towards me. He has a bit of a stubble and somewhat unkempt hair. I can't help but think of Detective Gumshoe from Phoenix Wright.

"Ah, you must be the other transfer student, Tai Rychtoven." The man says with his eyebrows raised in surprise. I nod, not wanting to say anything due to my dry tongue. I'm actually a little surprised that he can pronounce my surname, since most of my previous teachers didn't even want to say my last name. "I'm your homeroom and science teacher, Akio Mutou. Nakai told me about why you might be running late, but since you're here now you can both introduce yourselves to the classroom." Wow, Hisao actually backed me up. Maybe it's just a formality, but it's certainly a lot better than how I was treated.

"All right." I say, my voice hoarse and raspy. I try to moisturize my throat with some saliva, and it seems to suffice. Mutou doesn't mind it as he just simply places his hand on the handle of the door and opens it. He goes in first and greets the class. Hisao and I just stand there, waiting to be invited in like a vampire. Mutou notices and subtly beckons us. I let Hisao walk in first as I follow behind, shutting the door. After closing the exit, my gaze averts to the students of the class.

The first student I see is a girl with what looks like long burgundy hair and glasses, seated at the corner of the room. Her right eye seems obviously discolored compared to her other eye, which is the color of auburn. She catches me staring and averts her gaze to the right, probably at Hisao. Am I just not pleasing enough for you? Maybe I'm not, since I didn't brush my hair this morning, but then again I'm still wearing my fedora.

I take a look at the girl sitting next to discolored-eyes—is it wrong to refer people by their disabilities—who seems to give me a look of intrigue, as I can see that her eyebrow is lifted. Her hair is short and blonde, even though it obviously looks bleached. Guess it's true that most Asians have black hair or they're brunettes, but then again I'm stereotyping.

A girl with long black hair sits next to the blonde girl. She looks scared out of her mind, as if she was surrounded by darkness. I can barely notice what seems like burn scars on the right side of her face. Not a second too soon did she realize that I noticed her; she lifts her hand up to cover her face. She must be self-conscious about them. Regardless, I try my best not to stare.

My eyes skim across the classroom, identifying each student and their appearances so I can at least try to recognize them for later on. I notice an empty seat next to a guy with a beret cap and a bandage on his right ear. His disgruntled expression makes me feel a little put-off, but my eyes continue to scan the classroom. I notice a guy with a cane in the back row of the class. He looks as if he's in deep concentration, so my eyes get bored and move on.

I spy with my little eye, someone with a hairband. Frankly enough, there's a, uh... student in the front row wearing one. If it wasn't for the male uniform the student was wearing, I swear I could have mistaken him for Haruhi Suzumiya. Dear God, what if it is?

Speaking of familiar faces and hairbands, there seems to be a girl in the back row of the right side of the room who coincidentally looks like Ritsu Tainaka from 'K-ON!'. Thankfully it is a girl, because of the uniform. If she was wearing the male's uniform, I wouldn't even know what to think.

Reverting my gaze back to the first row, I notice a girl with a dark skin tone and only a right hand; her left hand is now just a bandaged stub. She looks completely distracted, either because she's spacing out or if she doesn't bother to acknowledge us. I don't take the action too deep since I could probably be over thinking it.

Going back to the right side of the room, there's a girl with light blue hair, who seems to have woken up from a nap. Heh, almost like me about ten minutes ago. I notice a brace on her right knee. Maybe she has a bad knee, or a joint condition. Either way, it looks like it sucks.

Behind her I can see another girl blue hair—but it seems to be drastically darker—and glasses. She waves her arms up and down frantically to the girl sitting next to her. Is that sign language, or does she have muscle spasms? Her ambitious glare and the way she crosses her arms makes me a little frightened, but I try my best not to show it.

A pink haired girl sits right next to her, the one the girl with the glasses was signing to. Her wide grin catches me by surprise since almost everyone in this class looks like they just want to go back to their dorms and sleep. But the thing that I notice the most is the way her hair is styled; her pink hair has like, drills that go downwards. I swear, she could probably pierce the heavens with those things.

The person who is sitting in front of the empty seat that is next to pink drills is a girl with prosthetic legs. She also seems to not be from Japan. Indian, maybe? I don't know, I'm not much for guessing people's ethnicity.

The last student I notice is a big dude obviously sleeping in the other corner of the class, with his mouth wide open and everything. Reminds me of that big lug from my previous school, except the purple hair. I guess I took quite a bit of time inspecting my classmates that I didn't notice Mutou was finished with his speech.

"... so please welcome our newest classmates." Mutou finishes. The class claps in acknowledgment. Not only does it catch me off guard, but I can see Hisao look a little surprised by it as well. He does a bow and I decide to follow by taking my hat off and bowing. Not deciding to put my hat back on, I turn to Hisao so he can start. He looks back at me, probably expecting the same thing. After a few moments he turns back to the class and starts.

"So... I'm Hisao Nakai." He starts. I subconsciously twirl my hand clockwise and bob my head slightly, as if to keep the flow going. "My hobbies are reading and soccer. I hope to get along well with everyone even though I'm a new student." I turn back to my classmates to see their reactions and some seem to either interested or pretending to be, and others seems to not even care at all. I'll give Hisao props though, he carried the flow without sounding or looking seemingly nervous, and he gave the class enough information to know about him. Guess I should follow-up with it too.

Mutou picks up on Hisao's brief introduction. I tune his voice out as I look at Hisao through the corner of my eye. Although he seems well composed, I can tell that with the way his eyebrows quivered that he seems displeased with his introduction. Oh well, it's probably going to be better than mine anyways.

The class claps yet again, it's probably just another formality. They used to do it in my previous school, so I can only assume as much. Once it quiets down I notice Hisao doesn't move from his spot and just looks at me now. It's probably because Mutou hasn't given our seats yet. I can feel my other classmates' eyes dart in the same direction. Guess it's my turn then. Feeling a little nervous, I clear my throat. Oh boy, what should I start with? I was never really good with ice breakers...

"Uh, hello everyone. My name's Tai Rychtoven." I get the feeling that my voice is a little soft, so I straighten by back a little. It might give it a bit more volume. So, what else is there? "My hobbies include..." I want to say poker but my subconscious doesn't let me, and martial arts hasn't really been on my schedule for the past few years. Oh crap, I'm trailing off! "V-video games and archery. I hope to become friends with all of you this year." Anything else? What else could I add with that? Maybe a funny joke, or something really witty? Should I say my condition? Is that what you're suppose to say in this school? 'Hello, my name's Tai and I have pancreatic cancer'? My thoughts are cut off when Mutou carries off from there. My mind relieves a little bit and I decide to see my classmates reaction.

The blonde seems to look a little bit in thought and that girl with burn marks still looks like she's going to have a panic attack. Is she all right? Should I get a nurse? But I guess looking at her isn't going to help either. The class claps just like at the end of Hisao's introduction and I respond with an acknowledging nod. As soon as the clapping ends, I turn to Mutou for further instructions.

"I hope you both don't mind that we have a group assignment for class today. It'll give you both time to familiarize with your classmates." Mutou explains. I guess there's no problem with that. What else am I suppose to say, 'Hell no, teacher. I don't want to work with some disabled kids.' I don't want to sound rude so I just nod in affirmation.

"I think we could do that. Right, Hisao?" I ask, now lifting an eyebrow. I don't know if he even feels like conversing with anyone else today. Hell, he barely converses with me. Hisao looks a little surprised by me mentioning him, but he nods in agreement.

"Yeah, I don't have a problem with that." He directs it more to the teacher than me, I'm pretty sure. Glancing over my shoulders, I see the two empty seats again. It's pretty obvious that wherever we sit, we're not going to work together. We're at like polar opposites. Well, almost, but you get the point. I don't like the feeling of working with someone else I don't know, but that's how you make friends. Hell, maybe there are better people here than back at my old school. Well, anything would be better than those who say 'swag' or 'YOLO'. God, just thinking of those words make me want to puke.

"All right then. Nakai, you can work with Hakamichi. She's the class representative, so who else would be better to get you more acquainted to the school?" Mutou says in a rhetorical question, pointing his palm to either one of the two girls sitting in the middle row of the right side of the room. So that means he's sitting not only by two cute girls, but by a window?! Dammit, Hisao. Hisao just nods and takes his seat by the window. I can feel a slight twitch under my right eye, my body's way of insinuating that I'm a little displeased.

Mutou looks to me and I can already tell where I'm sitting. It's pretty obvious at this point, but I guess it's just a formality or something.

"As for you, Rychtoven, you can work with Inoue. She's the head of the newspaper club, so she can help you with your work and around the school." Mutou says, pointing his palm to either the blonde girl or the one with discolored eyes. Well, I guess I can't really say much since I didn't even know there was a newspaper club here. At least I'm aware of it now. I just simply nod in agreement and I make my way to my seat. I take a glance at the girl with the burn scars, and she immediately cowers. Feeling a little guilty, I just take my seat. I place my hat near the corner of the desk so I don't interfere with it.

After a few minutes of explaining the assignment, Mutou passes it out to everyone and says we can pair off into groups of three or four. Once I get the assignment, I examine it's context. After a bit of deciphering, I can tell it's actually an easy assignment, even without a group. Wow, well, I guess I don't need to socialize anymore. Let's just find my... I forgot to bring a pencil... Dammit. Maybe I can ask someone for one, but I might seem like an unprepared person for asking. Maybe I can just take a needle and write it with my blood... No, too risky. I could ask the teacher, or maybe-

The feeling of a hand on my shoulder catches me off-guard and I can feel myself shiver from the touch. Oh God, this is how rape starts. Slowly turning my head around, I see it's that blonde chick, Inoue, I'm assuming. Her amused grin makes me a little baffled, and a little scared.

"Hey, you all right? You look like you just saw a ghost." She says. I scan my eyes up and down, examining her body. Her hair is most definitely bleached since there are some areas where it slightly fades white, and I can see a few strands of short hair curling up on the side. Her orange eyes are perked up, portraying either excitement or amusement. Her skin seems fair and her body looks rather slim and short, even when I'm sitting down. The tight looking uniform she wears accentuates her body even more. Oh God, what am I doing? I stop my staring once I realized that I have been. I don't want to called a creep on my first day.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just reading this thing..." I say, trying my best to act aloof. Of course, it didn't come off as calm as I would have wanted to; instead I'm pretty sure I sounded more nervous than aloof.

"Well, my friend and I need another person in our group, and you seem to be struggling a bit, so it would probably be best if you joined us." Inoue suggests, her smile still in place. Well, the teacher said I'd have to work with her anyways, so I guess there really is no escape. I mean, I could try the window, if I'm fast enough, or the door. Speaking of the door, I just noticed that the girl with the burn marks just left. It wasn't really too discreet either since she just waltzed out. I look at the class to see their reaction. Nothing. They don't even bother to see her ditch. Well, except for Hisao who looks about as baffled as I am. The teacher notices too, but doesn't bother to stop her. Does this happen often? Is it just natural occurrence? Or maybe-

"Yoo hoo, Earth to Tai~!" Inoue calls out in a jokingly manner. This snaps me out of my thoughts and I look back at her, her smile wider than before. I swear if I didn't know any better I would've mistaken her for Akira. "So, you joining us or what?"

"Yeah, sorry Inoue-san. I was just thinking." I say, scratching the back of my head out of embarrassment. She just smiles and brushes it off. I guess it's better to take everything with a grain of salt.

"Hey there's no need for formalities, just call me Naomi." She says, giving a dismissive wave. That name. I can feel my hand curl up to a fist and my eye slightly twitching. Not again. No, no. Maybe she's different. She's not the same person as that two-faced liar, she could actually be nice and friendly. Don't judge a book by it's cover, not yet. My thoughts are interrupted by Naomi dragging my desk to hers. She struggles a bit but manages to face ours as if we were making an acute angle. I take my chair and place it behind my desk and sit down.

Almost instantly, another desk comes up to join ours, forming an empty triangle in the middle of our three desks. I blink, dumbfounded. What the? That was almost instant, as if they were expecting it. I look up from looking at the desk to the person who pushed it. It's that girl with the discolored eyes. She looks at me with an intrigued look on her face, the corner of her bottom lip slightly pursed out and her eyebrow slightly raised. Why is she staring at me like that? Do I have something on my face? Or maybe she's just observing just as I do. My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of her voice.

"Natsume Ooe." Her voice sounds almost like a mumble. 'Natsune?' Is that what she said? Damn my poor hearing.

"Huh?"

"She said her name's Natsume!" Naomi's happy tone and voice bashes in, nearly breaking my eardrums. If I couldn't be able to hear her name before, then I certainly won't be able to hear it now. While digging in my ear to get rid of the ringing, I turn to Naomi with an unamused look on my face.

"Would you care to turn it down a notch? You sound about as loud as-"

"Wahahaha~!" A sudden burst of laughter cuts my sentence off and covers the entire classroom's noise. I cringe at the impact and turn my head to causer. It's that pink-haired drill girl; it's obvious to tell because her face is taken up by a wide grin and she's clenching on her sides. I noticed that the blue-haired girl with the weird hand motions doesn't seem fazed, unlike Hisao, who seems like he's just exhausted from talking to the two of them before the work.

"As her." I say as I turn my head back to Naomi. Of course, she isn't as loud as THAT, but she's quite close. Naomi's expression quickly changes from amused to serious in a matter of seconds. Oh crap, I think I hit a nerve, didn't want to do that.

"Yeah, everybody says that..." She says as she turns her head and glares over at Hisao's group. What happened? Are they childhood rivals? Pink drills and Naomi? They seem more like they'd be the best of friends or something. I feel like asking what happened or what she means by that, but I decide that it's none of my business. Being nosy on day one wouldn't be a very good first impression.

"Anyways," She says, clasping her hands together to break the tension, "We should get to work, it shouldn't be too hard." Even a smile is back on her face, her volume is significantly lower, like to the sound of an indoor voice. I know that's how normal people should speak, but... Ah, maybe I'm just reading too into it.

Now, it would be a lot easier to do the assignment if I had a writing utensil of some sort...


	3. Detour, Checkup, No Hurt Feelings?

**Author's Notes:**

_**Katawa Shoujo is owned by Four Leaf Studios. I do not own a single thing. This is a non-profit fan-made story. Viewer Discretion is not generally advised.**_

_Tenshi: Seeing another great review has encouraged my to write even more! Thank you for the lovely review and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story. All right, let's not waste any more time!_

**Lunch with Naomi and Natsume, meeting the Nurse, and meeting a hallmate. Time for some socializing.**

* * *

The bell rings and wakes me from my slumber. Oh God, I feel like crap. I guess you should never go to sleep in a classroom... with no air condition... during the summer... with heavy clothing on... you get the point. I wipe the sleep from my eyes and yawn softly.

At least Naomi was kind enough to let me borrow her second pencil, so the work got done fast. The class—besides me, Natsume, and Naomi—go to turn in their work. We ended up finishing our work second, with Hisao's group being the first. I mean, they were like a damn powerhouse. 15 minutes after getting the assignment, all finished. A new record, in my opinion.

It's lunch now right? I guess I would go to eat, but I have no idea where the cafeteria is, and there's no way that I'll be going through the school of fish outside. Funny how everyone starts to pour out immediately after the bell, especially since Mutou looked like he was about to announce something to the class as well, standing up to get the class' attention. He shakes his head dismissively and sits back down. Can't blame him, many of the students in my old school would do the same thing.

I was about to go on an inner monologue about the students in my old school, but it would be as interesting as hearing about the importance of knee-pads while skateboarding. I deeply sigh and lean on my hand to see who is left in the class. Seems as though Hisao and his new friends have already left, and that girl with the burn scars hasn't come back yet. In fact, seemingly everyone has already left, except for the girl sitting next to me, the girl with the knee brace—who is also sleeping—and the girl with the prosthetic legs. Well, of course, there's me.

"Yo, Tai~!" Oh, who could also forget that Naomi was here? I turn my head to her voice and it seems that Natsume is sticking by her side. I wonder how she does it.

"Yo. What is it?" I ask, raising my hand casually as my sign of a greeting. I guess I'm a little out of it since my vision goes a little blurry for a second. I pinch the bridge of my nose to see that Natsume is looking observantly at me. I quickly avert my gaze to the delightful blonde.

"You going to lunch or are you just going to stay here?" You know, staying here couldn't be that bad; I've had a few days without lunch before, so I could handle it. But I'm never one to turn down a maiden's request. Or in this case, Naomi's request. Bleh, low blow.

"Sure, why not?" I say as I stand up from my seat. Dang, that could have been the perfect chance at a witty remark. Guess I'm too tired to even care now. Naomi raises an eyebrow in confusion and her smile turns to a frown quickly. What the hell? What did I say?

"Who said you were eating with us?" She says. Oh, so that's how it's gonna be. I guess I made an obviously unamused face because Naomi's frown quickly turns into a smile as she can't hold back her laughter.

"Pfffhh! Hahahaha~!" Oh, I'm so glad you got a kick out of that. I turn to Natsume to see her reaction, and she simply just looks at her with an inquisitive look. I can't tell if she's simply confused or if that's just her normal face. She looks at me with the same expression. God, her face is really difficult to read. But then again, she is a girl, and reading into a girl's mind is like looking for needle in a haystack. "Haha- you should have seen... the look on your face!" Naomi pants as she's clenching at her stomach. I turn my head to see my remaining classmates' reactions; the blue haired girl is still sleeping, and the girl with prosthetic legs and the girl that was sitting next to me have already left. Mutou is still there and I can tell that he is watching in the corner of his eye as he reads his papers.

"Yeah, I know I'm beautiful, now are we going to each lunch or what?" I say as I turn back to Naomi with a smug look on my face, managing to slip in a sarcastic remark. She seems to compose herself as she straightens her back from arching forward due to her laughter.

"Okay, okay." Naomi says before heading to the door. "This way then." I follow along, grabbing my hat before I forget, and Natsume follows behind.

The hallway is practically empty. Guess a lot of people are hungry. Well, it's not 'ghost-town' empty, like how it was when I was getting to class, but we didn't see anybody until we were nearing what I could guess was the cafeteria.

We take our place in the line. I knew it, this place does get quite crowded during lunch. Not to mention it's really noisy too. I usually like it when it's quiet, gives me time to think and ponder life's mysteries. Natsume poking my shoulder interrupts my train of thought. Wait, when did she get in front of me? She moves to the side so Naomi could talk to me.

"I was thinking that we can get something to go and show you around the school. That okay?" She shouts, trying to overpower the loud chatter so I can hear her. It manages to get to my ears and I nod in agreement. Her face lights up and she gives a slight grin. "Sweet." She turns forward to face the lunch line and we wait until we can get our food.

* * *

You know, even if I wasn't going to walk around the school, I still wouldn't have chosen the lunch for today; they were serving some kind of ramen with shrimp in it. I wouldn't mind the ramen if the tempura was separate, but no, they just had to mix it with the soup. For a school that helps students with disabilities, you'd think they be a little open-minded about the food they serve. Screw my allergies. Oh well, I guess I shouldn't complain as much, it is my first day after all.

So instead of getting the ramen, we opted on getting the sweet bread. At least, I think it's sweet. It's got a strawberry drawing on the wrapper and it looks a little pinkish. What if it's shrimp flavor? God, that doesn't even sound appetizing. But then again, that's my taste.

I follow the dastardly duo out of the cafeteria and into the courtyard. There are a few students eating their home lunches on the grass. Can't really call it 'home' lunch since we're in a boarding school, but whatever. After getting the damned wrapper off, I finally take a bite out of the bread. Hm, strawberry, probably could have guessed that. Well, at least it's sweet.

Naomi fumbles around with her bread, still struggling to get the wrapper open, and Natsume is taking small bites from her own. Her differently colored eyes constantly dart in different directions, periodically to me and Naomi. Would she please stop doing that? It's starting to make me feel a little self-conscious. But Naomi doesn't seem to notice since she's still trying to rip the wrapper.

"This... damn... thing!" She grunts as she attempts to rip it open on each word. The inside of my mind wants me to laugh at her feeble attempts, but the nicer side of my takes over as I extend my hand out.

"Let me see that." I say. She looks at me, and then to my hand. Her surprised expression makes me feel a little amused. She doesn't say anything as she places the bread on my hand. I give her my bread before attempting to open this damn thing. I tug on two opposite sides and begin pulling. Damn, why do they always make these things hard to open? If a student that had only one arm wanted to eat this then they're in for a bad time. It's like a pickle jar. After a few sharp tugs, I finally manage to open it. Feeling victorious, I hand it back to her.

"Thanks, Tai~!" She happily thanks, closing her eyes and giving a slight nod in appreciation. She eagerly takes the bread and gives back my lunch before munching on her own. It kind of reminds me of when you would buy a little kid ice cream. Kind of cute. I guess everyone's just a kid at heart.

We go around the school, looking at the different areas of the campus. Of course, Naomi is the one who basically acts like a tour guide; the only time Natsume would speak was when Naomi started the stumble or trail off. There were a few conversations that the two would star in, but I always find myself not saying anything. We go around and tour the school, with Naomi's superb guidance, for about ten minutes. I'm not sure how long we have lunch for. From what Naomi said, we have a while. Not exactly helpful. Guess we'll just have to wait it out.

* * *

We make our way back to the class buildings. We have already finished our lunch and thrown it away, so Naomi's just skipping ahead, and Natsume and I are forced to follow before she gets herself hurt.

"She's quite energetic, isn't she?" I say, almost in a chuckle. Naomi isn't within earshot and she's greeting other students as they pass by, so she shouldn't be able to hear our conversation. Natsume turns to me with a slight grin on her face.

"Yeah, she's always been like this since we were children." She responds nostalgically. Could have guessed they were childhood friends. From the way they act around each other, they could almost be perceived as sisters. I wonder how they met.

"She's always been like this?" I ask jokingly, pointing my finger at Naomi, who seems to be trying to reach out towards a butterfly. I expected a laugh, or even a giggle, but she just responds with sigh.

"Yep. Can't remember a time when she hasn't." Natsume says, with the same nostalgic grin on her face. Must have been good times. It makes me remember my childhood. Ugh, I don't want to remember 'her' again. The new one seems to appeal enough to me. Heh, 'the new one'; it sounds like I'm replacing her now.

Before I could respond, Naomi quickly walks to us, hunched forward in exhaustion probably. She went and tired herself out in this hot weather. I wonder if she does this often. If so, Natsume is probably always on watch 24/7.

"Whew, all this guiding and walking has gotten me thirsty!" Naomi announces to us, brushing a bit of sweat off of her forehead. Who even says that anymore? Sounds like something out of a movie or a cartoon. Oh well, either way I know what this means.

"I'm getting a little parched, I guess." I suggest. I don't know where I'm going with this, but I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be the pack mule regardless. "Is there a water fountain nearby?"

"A water fountain? I don't even think we have one of those." Thanks Naomi, that should have been really helpful to say during the tour. Also, what kind of school doesn't give kids free water?! What kind of blasphemy is this?! Do you want us to die?! "Instead, we have soda machines." Whoa, wait what?

"Soda machines? You mean like, with actual soda?" I ask.

"Uh, yeah. What else would there be?" Oh Naomi, you have no idea.

"In my previous school, they had these soda machines, with a big soda ad on it and everything. But instead of being smart and putting actual soda in there, they replaced it all with bottled water!" I explain to her. Just as I hoped, she laughed. I'm not sure if it was how strongly I delivered it or if she's laughing at the pain of betrayal I had felt.

"Hahaha! Wow, haha... that must suck." She says, trying to compose herself. It was loud enough to catch a few of the students' attention, but I disregard their questioning stares. Besides, Natsume's stare is enough.

"Yeah, anyways, where's the soda machine?" I ask. Natsume gives me the directions and the money to buy the drinks. I walk inside the building and can't help but feel how lonely and quiet it is without them. It's only day one and I'm starting to feel comfortable. I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing.

* * *

"C'mon you..." I slip in the yen for about the twelfth time. The damn machine keeps spitting it out, complaining that it's creased on the edges. Of course, the damn thing spits it out again. "Fucking bitch goof!" I snap, slamming my fist on it. A little too vulgar for me, even though I said it. But I mean really, how much more straight can you get than this? Do you want me to freaking iron it out for you too? Rubbing the corners one last time, I put it back in. This time, it doesn't spit it back out.

"Thank you!" I say frustratedly, tossing my arms up in annoyance. I punch in strawberry soda for Naomi, coffee for Natsume, and melon juice for me. I never knew they had coffee in beverage machines. You learn something new everyday. All three of the cans pop out to the pick-up slot. Being the homosapien that I am, I can't carry all three of the cold cans in my hands, so I stack them. So now I have to make my way back and keep watching the drinks so they don't fall.

It isn't too far, but the hallway is quite narrow, not to mention there's a sharp turn. Who designed this part of the building? The quiet atmosphere heightens the sound of metal banging on the floor. There's no construction happening so it could be from a person with a prosthetic limb or something. Maybe it's that Indian girl from my class.

The sound starts off faint but seems to increase gradually. All right, I know going through the turn would be the worse possible choice, so I should start backing up.

"Whoa!" I softly say as my soda can tower falls, the top can falling forward and, of course, to the turn. Crap. I don't want an unsuspecting victim to trip on behalf of my stupidity, so I chase after the can. It rolls far but I'm able to catch up with-

"Oof!" Something rams into my chest at a sudden speed. The force of the impact causes me to lose my balance immediately and fall to the ground, not to mention that I happened to hit my head on it. Ouch, pain. The pain fills my lower area, around my pancreas. Ugh, it just had to be there huh?! What did the doctor say not to do, besides overexercising? Getting hit in the pancreas, right?

Agh! Great, now the pain is rising! It's as if fire was pouring out of my guts and into my skin. I grit my teeth to hold back any screams that might escape my mouth. Take a few breaths. In through the nostrils, out through the mouth. I can bear through this, be a man! After a minute, the pain starts to fade. Whew, I almost thought I reopened my wound. I open my eyes and lean on my arms to sit up. It seems I found out who the perpetrator is.

"Hey, you all right?" She asks worriedly, bending over to look at me. The first thing I notice is that her legs are gone; now the only things that took their place are prosthetic legs. But it's not like the one that the Indian girl had. Huh, I didn't know that there were different types of prosthetic legs for different things.

But besides her obvious disability, I notice that she is a small girl—probably older though—with peach colored hair. Her hair is styled in twintails. She's also wearing different clothes from our regular uniforms. Maybe it's for P.E. Certainly looks that way, with the panty-like undergarments and the white t-shirt. I should probably stop looking already.

"Yeah, I'm g-gh!" I grunt as I try to get up, but my pancreas let's out another jolt of pain and it manages to get a reaction out of me. My arm gets weak and I barely catch myself from falling on my back. With speed-like reflexes, she rushes over to pick me up. I don't put up a struggle as she goes to sling my arm over her shoulder.

"Come on, I'll take you to the nurse." She says as she starts to lift me up. At this point my mind kicks into a dazed mode since I can't really think. I just turn my head side-to-side, observing the area. My feet walk in synch with twintails' as she starts walking down the hallway. The image of the soda cans separated in the hallway is in my peripherals. Man, what a waste.

* * *

Almost halfway to the nurse's office I break away from the girl's support. My pancreas is now at ease, with the occasional soreness from the collision. She hit pretty hard too, like almost rivaling a speed of a car on the highway. If she had been larger, I probably could have died. Good thing that most of the girls here are slender. At least, I hope most of them are.

We reach the nurse's office in silence, probably not wanting to discuss anything until we both find out we're okay. Well, I'm not one for starting conversations so maybe that's it. But still, I don't feel like talking now. I open the door and let her in first. I follow after and enter into a completely different room. Apart from the nurse's building, which is dim and gritty, this room is completely bright and sterile.

"Ah Emi, you're back in ample time, as usual." a young purple-haired man says with his eyes closed and a smile on his face. Is he suppose to be the nurse? Guess there's nothing wrong with that, but I've never seen a male school nurse before. Also, now I know the girl's name. Probably should have asked before, but it doesn't matter now.

"Of course, but I ran into some trouble." Twintails responds with a jubilant grin as well.

"Yeah, quite literally." I respond with a shaky sigh, since my pancreas decided it would be fun to hurt now.

"What is this, the fifth time this has happened?" The nurse says jokingly. There were four other victims? I hope none of them got sent to the hospital.

"Wow, I'm surprised you kept count." Emi says, still smiling. She's not even affected. That's just great. I'm just another accident.

"Well, I'm going to have to if I need to keep telling your supervisor about it." The nurse retaliates. Supervisor? She must be in a club. That reminds me, Naomi and Natsume were talking about clubs. They told me about them being in the newspaper club. They asked me to join and I said I'd consider it. Maybe it might be interesting. I could go after school, if I feel up to it. "Anyways," The nurse says as he straightens out his small stack of papers and sets them to the side. "I believe we have to inspect the damage." It sounds like he's treating me like a vehicle. Why don't you just pop open the hood and see if the engine's still running? Actually no, don't; that would be painful.

The nurse points me to the bed by his desk and I abide by the action. I sit down on the leather surface, placing my hands down near my side and touching the edge of it, my legs on the bed. The nurse approaches with a stethoscope.

"Please take off your shirt." The nurse says nonchalantly, with his smile still intact. Such an odd request from a man would send me running for the hills, but he's a nurse. I comply with his order. After taking off my hat, I begin to unbutton my uniform jacket, my eyes gaze upon the room. There are many different posters, ranging from fruit posters to motivationals. 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away.' Yeah, if I throw it at him.

I take off the jacket and begin to undo the shirt itself. Only now that I realize that Emi is still here. I thought she already left. She's just staring at me with a vacant look in her eyes. Makes me kind of embarrassed. Maybe she wants to stick around? Pfhh, yeah right. As if anyone would want to see you shirtless. You just showed up out of the blue, and this is no harem; no girl is going to want to go in your pants yet. I guess the nurse had noticed my staring as he turns behind him with a smirk.

"Don't worry Emi, I'll make sure to get it all on tape so you can watch it again." Oh dear god, I hope he's joking. This is not how I want to lose my virginity.

"What did I say about flirting with the people I crash into?" Emi responds, very seriously as well. Dear god, he isn't joking. This is how my life ends.

"What? I can't have a little fun?" The nurse replies. Whelp, time to say my prayers. I'm sorry I didn't pass high school, mom and dad. Emi kicks the nurse playfully. He cringes and grasps at his leg. Even though it looked light, it seems like it hurts.

"I'll be going. Sorry about the whole crashing into you thing. I'll find a way to make it up." Emi abruptly says to me.

"Huh, oh all right. See ya." I respond hastily. I guess being caught off guard can do that sort of thing. Not to mention the given situation. She then heads to the door and leaves. I don't know why, but my body unconsciously exhales and my shoulders lower in relaxation. Girls; affecting our bodies even without us knowing. The nurse chuckles at my seemingly obvious expression of relief.

"Quite a handful, isn't she?" He responds with one eye open. He then places the stethoscope onto my chest. It's cold and metallic. Guess that's to be expected. Besides, I would think it was a little jarring for it to be warm.

"You tell me; I only met her by a collision." I respond. I inhale and exhale deeply. The stethoscope moves up. I repeat. The stethoscope moves down.

"So what's your name?" The nurse says as he keeps inspecting my chest area. I breathe deeply before speaking.

"Tai Rychtoven." That name. Speaking somewhat English is relieving. But this is probably the only time I'd speak it.

"Ah, the transfer student." The nurse says. I reply with a nod. His stethoscope now moves to my back. My spine jolts a little, but it's not too much to handle. Breathe in. Breathe out. Manual breathing mode activated. "Where are you from?"

"Hawaii." I say. I almost expected myself to say it viciously, but it just came out nonchalantly. Guess I don't care much for it. At least, now that I'm here in Japan it's practically irrelevant. The checkup seems to be over as he places the stethoscope off from my back and unplugs the earpieces from his ears. I go to reach for my shirt before anything else. The nurse goes to his chair and takes some papers out. Probably my records and such. I wouldn't understand it.

By the time he's done collecting his files, I'm just finishing the last button on my jacket.

"You seem to be looking good, Rychtoven." He says with a smile. Man, I feel a little superior being called by my last name. Maybe it's just a formality here, but I like it. "Your heart rate's normal and your lungs seem to be doing well." He says this as he shuffles around with his papers a bit. I'm not sure if he's really looking at them or not. "Also, there's the thing about your pancreas."

"My insulinoma? What about it?" I ask. I know most of what I need from my doctors and brother, so I'm pretty sure he's just going to give me a little review.

"I'm pretty sure you've been alerted by your other doctors, but you'll need to do some exercising." There's that word, 'exercise'.

"Exercise? But I can't overexert myself." I state. The nurse opens his right eye and grins. Is that all he can do? Can he ever open both of his eyes?

"I know, but you still need to do it. There's some light exercising you can do at the swimming pool." Wow, wait what? There's a swimming pool? Well, why didn't you just say so? I could go for some cruising by the water. "Or you can run on the track with Emi." So Emi exercises as well? Guess that makes sense, considering her attire. She must be in track and field.

"Hm, I might consider it." I say. Then again, I would enjoy just staying in my room and playing on my DS. I still have to beat my Nuzlocke challenge on Platinum.

"Good!" The nurse says. He shuffles his papers some more before stopping almost abruptly. "Also, I'm pretty sure you have gotten your prescribed medications already?" I nod. "Well, if you run out, come meet me here." He shuffles a bit more before setting them down and clasping his hands in accomplishment. "That seems to be it Mr. Rychtoven; you may leave." I nod in affirmation and reach for my hat.

"Thank you, sir." I say as I head to the door.

"No problem. Stay safe. Oh, and try not to crash into anyone." He says with his jubilant smile present. He should be saying that to Emi. I leave the room and step into the hallway. It's empty. Looks like Emi did leave. She did seem to be in a hurry, you know crashing into me and all. I sigh and just put my hands in my pocket as I start to head to the classroom buildings.

The final bell of the day rings. Having English and History as the final classes of the day makes it feel like an eternity. English was easy, considering my first language was English. Unfortunately, History hasn't been much of my forte recently. Just can't understand it properly. Unlike math.

* * *

The whole class rushes out as if there was a fire. I stick around for a bit so I don't get caught up in the traffic. My eyes scan across the classroom. Naomi and Natsume are nowhere to be seen. Either they entered the crowd before I noticed, or they haven't come back. They weren't present at English, so who knows where they could be. I hope they're okay. Maybe they're searching for me, since I didn't meet back with them. Pfhh, yeah right, that's wishful thinking; people actually caring about you on the first day.

Speaking of dastardly duos, pink drills and the blue-haired bespectacled girl are making wild gestures at each other. They're so quick and fluid that it's almost unreal. Sign language, of course. I couldn't imagine doing that, it would be too hard remembering each movement. Wait a minute, Hisao's not with them. He must have hurriedly escaped from them, considering how tired he looked just conversing with them. Maybe he went to unpack his stuff. Oh crap, I should probably do that too. Hopefully, nothing in there is broken.

The door and hallway is still crowded so I just continue examining the classroom. That blue-haired girl that was sitting next to me in Mutou's class seems to be reading a rather thick and large book. The sudden flash of light that comes from the book whenever she slightly adjusts it makes me assume that it's from the lamination of a picture. Maybe it's a photo album? It's always nice to reminisce nice memories. I wish I had one of those right now.

My eyes revert back to the sign language experts, who are still signing. My mind is suggesting on talking with them, but my body won't move a muscle. Besides, if I had the will to go up to them, what would I say? Nothing comes to mind, so I just quickly give up on it. But, isn't it good to make friends on the first day? You shouldn't just stick with one group the entire time, right; expand further and meet new people? That is, if I don't meet them by crashing into them.

That Emi girl has been lurking a bit in my mind during History;What is she like? What class is she in? What does she like? What does she mean by 'making it up to me'? All these questions rattle through my mind. Ugh, I'm giving myself a headache. Maybe I'll see her tomorrow, hopefully. She seems nice and I want to know more. Maybe we could start running together. But then again, swimming does sound cool. I could check it out tomorrow.

It seems the crowd has died of and most of my classmates have left already—disregarding the blue-haired girl with the knee brace sleeping. I kind of feel like waking her up, but I'll just let her rest in peace. Besides, it has been a tiring day for all of us.

* * *

I make my way to the dorms and see a sight that I expected to be there. Right on the corner of the wall branching from the 1st level dorms to the staircase is a skid mark. Before making my way up the stairs, I see a group of guys watching television at the lounge area. They are all focused on their network—except for one guy who waves his hand lightly at me—so I don't bother on saying anything to them. As much as I would like to unwind and watch some brainwashing shows, I have some unpacking to do.

Room 110. 2nd floor, 1st room. Odd, I know, but that's how the system works apparently. It isn't too much of a hassle since it's closest to the stairs. I stand in front of my door and take a deep breath. I don't know why, I'm just tired. Before I attempt unlocking the door, I always turn the handle to jerk it back forth for about three times. It's usually for if I forget to lock the door, but now it's become a usual routine. After the third turn and yank, I finally reach for my keys. As I go to my keys, I hear a door opening from behind me. The sounds is enough to distract me as I just completely ignore my door and turn around.

A male teenager with short and unkempt dark brown hair is leaning on his frame. His arms are folded and his legs are crossed. He's wearing a casual white t-shirt and baggy jeans that have a few tiny rips by the shin. His green eyes flicker and a smirk appears on his face. This guy better not be gay or else I'm running for cover.

"Heard ya' making quite a bit of a rustle." He says, the smirk on his face now replaced with a questioning look. Makes me feel a little put-off, but I always answer when asked, even though he wasn't technically asking a question.

"A little tradition I like to do. Just a habit before opening locked doors." I say, twirling the keys on my finger. His face turns from inquisitive to a look of realization. Must have remembered something.

"Wait, you're that new kid that just transferred." Wow, I'm surprised that he even knew. I guess there hasn't been many transfers recently. Odd, considering this is a school for the physically disabled.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Now it's my turn to return the questioning look. He straightens up from his leaning and a joking smile appears on his face.

"Because I could hear you running and banging into everything on your way up." He says it calmly, but I can still hear a chuckle as he states his sentence. Wait, he was able to hear that? Then that means he skipped out on class. Maybe he's just a senior and has his credits to graduate. At least, I think that's how the system in this school—or even country—works.

"Wait, you were here all morning?" I ask him.

"Well, not all morning, but I was here to hear you charging through as if you were a bull in a china shop." He responds. Nice simile and expression you got there, pal. I would continue on why he wasn't in class at the morning, but he quickly changes the topic. "Oh, but where are my manners?" He steps out from his door frame and into the hallway. "My name's Hanato Wazuka. Now hit me." He says as he points to his face. Wait, what?

"Wait, what?" I ask in surprise. Such an odd and sudden request. The subconscious of my mind tells me it's a trap. What if I get in trouble from knocking this guy out? I don't even know his disability; he could brittle bones or something.

"You heard me; punch me in the face." He says again, leaning a bit forward so I can get a clean shot. I take a step back. All right, this is starting to get weird.

"Look, I'm not punching you." I say, raising my hands up defensively. Hanato flashes a competitive grin before raising his eyebrow. What trick does this guy have up his sleeve.

"Oh, I didn't know my new hallmate was a bitch." He murmurs as he straightens. He says it loud enough for me to hear it though.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" I ask rhetorically. There's no mistake that he just provoked me. Intentionally at that. But I may as well see how he responds.

"So you're disability is deafness? I guess..." He mocks. I can feel my hand curl up to a fist... and release. There's no way I'm going to punch this guy. It would only cause more trouble. Just a few words should probably get him off my back.

"Yep, can't hear a thing!" I jest as I slightly lift my arms up and quickly back down. Just play it cool and he'll just stop eventually.

"I feel sorry for you. No balls AND deaf?" He jeers yet again. This guy will never give up. My face subconsciously creeps a sinister grin and my right eye does a small twitch. Nearing the pressure cooker. My arm unnervingly shuffles around my pocket a bit. Just some idling will keep it from wanting to hit him. "What's wrong? You have a disability in your arm too? Or have you been wanking off too much?" All right, that's it.

Normally, I wouldn't get defensive on masturbation, but I think I've had about enough of this. Just so I can end it, I immediately give a heavy jab right into Hanato's cheek. He stumbles back a bit and holds the door frame with one hand while the other just lies limp. I can feel my heavy breathing coming out of my nostrils, and that my body is heaving. Hanato doesn't waste a second as he comes right back up with the same competitive smile on his face.

"Come on! Is that all you've got?" He challenges yet again, his arms up as if to say 'Come at me, bro!' Oh, you'll get what's coming to you. "My little sister could h-gh!" I don't give him any time to finish his taunt as I give him a sharp punch to his nose. He only takes a step back and only covers his nose for a second before returning to his original position. "Scratch that, my plants could hit better than you!"

Another punch delivered to his face and he has the same reaction. It's kind of nice, venting all this stress I had. Though I do feel a little bad about-ah who am I kidding; he asked for it practically! His nose is now bleeding and his nose seems to be out of it's usual position. Damn, I think I broke it. I guess I still got a little force in me.

"Hah, you call that a punch?! I can't even feel it!" He taunts yet again. I'm about to throw another punch, but something dawns upon me. What the hell am I doing? Am I seriously starting a fight on my first day? Well I can't really call it a fight since he's not hitting back. In fact, why isn't he hitting back? This all seems rather odd. I lower my fists and turn my hand around so my palm is facing up.

"Dude, your nose is broken." I say as I point to his face. He looks down at the area, surprised. Why's he surprised? If anything, he should be cringing in pain. Instead of showing any signs of pain or worry, he just simply covers his nose with both his hands and—judging by the sounds of cracking and his gestures—fixes his nose. What the hell is up with this dude?

"Ah, just a flesh wound. Come on!" He says as he bounces back and forth, beckoning competitively. Yeah, I think I'm done. I don't want to be suspended from breaking this guy's bones. But, by the way he's acting, he's just practically begging for it.

My eyes flash around, trying to find some escape to this. No one to the left. Wonder what they're doing. They're probably at the lounge. Still have yet to meet them. I hope it doesn't end up like this meeting. Maybe they do this for all the new hallmates? If so, that's a pretty stupid welcoming. There's no way in the hell that this is some kind of formality.

My eyes quickly dart to the right as I see someone at the stairwell. Thank God, it's Hisao. He's looking at us with a confused expression. Gee, I wonder how long he's been standing there. By his expression, he looks as though he just got here. Maybe he can help be my ticket out of here.

"Oh, hey Hisao!" I call out to him. He's surprised by my acknowledgment of him, and so is Hanato. Good.

"Oh, uh, hey." He responds back. He seems rather unsocial today, at least with me. I would take offense by it, but it's probably because of this given situation. "You two okay?"

"Huh, oh yeah we're fine; just having a simple chat with my hallmate that's all." I respond back. I don't know why I'm trying to hold up this 'nothing is wrong' act. He's already been here long enough to know what was happening.

"Name's Hanato." Hanato says as he holds up his hand nonchalantly. His sudden greeting kind of catches me off guard and worries me. He better not ask Hisao to punch in the face. I don't want him to go through that whole mess.

"Hisao, Hisao Nakai." He formally bows. Now this is a formal greeting, now asking someone for a duel. **Cough** **cough** Hanato **cough** **cough**. "You two seem busy, so I'm gonna up to my room." He says as he points to the stairs behind him.

"All right." I nod, "See ya later." And with that, Hisao leaves. Now Hanato and I are left by ourselves. At least Hisao was able divert our previous situation, so now Hanato seems to have calmed down. But now I think it's time to ask a question that has been sitting in my mind.

"So, what was that all about? The whole me hitting you thing?" I ask. He gives me a grin, probably glad that I asked him this question.

"Just to test what ticks you off." He explains. If he just wanted to know, he could have just asked. But I guess this way you get to see the ugly side of people. "And I have to say, you've made it farther than most others. It was quite entertaining." Oh, now you're speaking in high elegance? How quaint.

"So you've done this to other people." I conclude. He nods and gives a bigger grin, as if in amusement. I can only guess that those people are my other hallmates.

"Yeah, they mostly start wailing once I hit the 'bitch' part." He says. I can't help but snicker. But then, another thought hit me.

"How did you take all those hits? I mean, I even broke your nose. Most people would be running to the nurse's office."

"Ah, I should probably explain." He says. He leans up against the wall and I place my back on the one behind me. "You know how when you get hurt, it's because of how your nerves react to it, right?" I nod in response. "Yeah well, my nerves aren't like that. It's a genetic disability; my nerves don't respond properly. So when I get hurt, I don't feel it."

"So that's why you didn't even notice when I dislocated your nose." I state. He nods in confirmation. I take this new piece of information into account and store it somewhere into my brain. Wow, a disability where you can't feel any pain. I wonder how it must feel. Like, is it just pain or does it affect your whole sense of touch. That would suck. Without that feeling, how would you even know if you're alive?

"What about you?" Hanato's question catches me off-guard and I look at him in confusion. "Why are you in this school?" The question is basically a kinder way of saying, 'What's your disability?' I guess I should phrase it like that from now on.

"Uh, insulinoma." I say. I realize that I am speaking in medical jargon and decide to explain. "My pancreas secretes insulin, which lowers my blood sugar. Which, in turn, may cause me to have a blackout or seizure." I don't bother to tell him about the whole 'cancer' thing, seeing as how grim his expression is.

"Is it curable?" He asks. This time he asks it in seriousness, without his sinister sneer. I simply shake my head, and he lowers his head. He seems rather sorrow about the whole situation, until he gives out a forced chuckle. "I guess we have something in common." Dark.

I'm not sure if his disability is fatal as mine. Maybe it's like his nerves just stop working altogether. He doesn't bother to explain it and I don't bother to answer. It's probably for the best.

"Anyways, I'm supposed to be meeting with someone in town." Hanato says as he pops off from the wall and starts to the stairs. "I'll see you later." He says as he still looks at me and waves.

"All right. See ya." I wave back. I stop watching him after a few seconds of him disappearing down the staircase. I sigh, do my little routine with the doorknob, and enter my room. "Ahhh, what a d-woah!" I scream as I almost trip from my luggage. I quickly grasp on the wardrobe that is conveniently there to keep me from falling. I guess that's what I get for just throwing my things in here.

I close my door and drag my luggage over to the center of the room. The room's not half-bad. There's a bed, desk, lamp, clock, wardrobe, and even a little mini-fridge. I open it to see what's in it and there's a few juice boxes in there. They seem to be far from the expiration date, so I just let it be.

I open my big luggage that almost tripped me and tried to give me a concussion. My clothes are in there, following with my laptop and charger, and most of my school supplies. Oh, and Akira's present. There's quite a lot of clothes I packed in, since I'm basically not allowed back in Hawaii practically. I put them in my wardrobe, almost having to stuff one drawer since there was no more left over space. It didn't shut perfectly, so you can see the bits of clothing poking out from it. Eh, I'll fix it later.

Next I move onto my carry-on luggage. I put most of my luxuries in here, like my hand-held games, computer games, some of my light school supplies, Japanese pocket dictionaries, a lot of things. I take my time to organize it. Wine goes in waaay back in the fridge; laptop goes on the desk, plugged at all times; hand-helds stay on the desk with the laptop; school supplies stay on the desk as well; Japanese dictionaries and medications stay in the drawer nearest to the bed.

What time is it now? I almost go to reach for my pocket watch until I remember there's a clock in my room. About 3, almost. I'm practically finished with unpacking, so I lay in my bed for awhile—not before placing my hat down on my desk. Ugh, what a day. For a first day, quite a lot happened. I wonder if every day is going to be eventful like this. I'm not going to be cynical, but that would be very tiring. I might enjoy it in here. Heh, it's like one of those school animes.

My eyes blink heavily. Fatigue is starting to wash over me. Hm, I wonder how Natsume and Naomi are doing. They haven't been back since lunch. I wonder if they're looking for me. Heh, yeah right; that's just wishful thinking. If anything, they probably ditched you to do their own thing. I wouldn't be surprised though, Naomi seems to be the one who would always take advantage of time.

Another heavy blink. I wonder who those girls Hisao is hanging with. He seemed quite overwhelmed when talking to them, even though one of them can't talk. That reminds me, I haven't talked with anyone else. Well, except for Emi. I've practically been observing everything, getting to know these people. Even through these observations, I'm not sure how to adapt. I guess I should just be me. That's what my dad used to say.

* * *

…

…

...**brring**...

Huh what? My eyes slowly open, the dirt on my crevices trying to keep them shut. I move my head to the side and I'm greeted with a blurry vision. After a few moments, it subsides and I look to my desk where my phone is. I try to reach out to it, but it's too far away. Maybe if I concentrate hard enough, I can use the force!

…

Shit. Looks like I'm going to have to get up and do it myself. I lift my off from my bed a sluggishly get my phone. I sit back on my bed and flip the phone open. It's a text. From Isaac.

"Hey bro, how's your new school so far? The law business here is kind of confusing, but Akira helped show me around. Speaking of Akira, here's her phone number:" I go to turn on my light—which burns my corneas by the way—and take out a post-it note that was already on my desk. I don;t remember putting it there, but I don't complain. I write the number down and set it as a new contact.

I don't bother on sending Isaac a reply, since I'm too groggy to formulate an actual message. Geez, what time is it now? I check my phone's clock and it reads 9:05. I look out my window it surely is dark outside. I would go to take a nice stroll, but I'm afraid that I might get lost and never find my way back. So instead, I reach for my DS and play some Pokémon.

I mindlessly grind my Kirlia until it's almost level 30. Gardevoir will be mine! What, what time is it? I glance at the clock and it's almost nearing 12. Crap, I need to go to bed soon. After gaining level 30, I save and shut off the game. I still realize that I'm wearing my uniform and decide to undress and put it in the hamper next to the wardrobe. I get a comfy t-shirt and sweatpants out from the wardrobe and equip them.

Getting under the covers, I recall today's events. So these are the cards you give me, Life? Fine I'll play your game.

I call.

* * *

_Tenshi: I apologize for the long delay, school's been quite a problem recently, but that's not really an excuse, is it? No, I've just been playing too much Minesweeper. My apologies. Read and review, and tell me what you think._

_Tenshi: Until next time!_


	4. Terms, Good Samaritan, The Royal Gambit

**Author's Notes:**

_**Katawa Shoujo is owned by Four Leaf Studios. I do not own a single thing. This is a non-profit fan-made story. Viewer Discretion is not generally advised.**_

_Tenshi: I would first like to apologize on my not updating recently. I've been rather busy in school, and I've been very kept up with Virtue's Last Reward and Kawaii-Kon. I know those aren't very good excuses, but I have a life outside of writing. But, for those who have stuck from the beginning to up here, thank you for the support. Maybe it's too early to say that, but I like to give out my appreciation._

_Tenshi: So without further ado, let's get started! Oh, and there might be a little interactive choice at the ending._

**A short conversation with Tai and Akira commence in the morning. Least to say, barely anything sarcastic happens. A new character appears for a little morning breakfast with Tai. The Dastardly Duo challenges Tai to a game of Texas Hold 'Em.**

* * *

**Briiiing! **A sharp alarm rings through my ears. A rude awakening to a wonderful nap, I must say. After a few seconds of me rustling in my bed, I quickly realize that the noise is actually my ring-tone. Who would be calling me? Probably Isaac, since I didn't reply to him last night.

I quickly throw off my sheets and rise to my feet. Don't want to keep anyone waiting. As soon as I get to my feet, my vision goes a little blurry and my balance gets wobbly. I reach for the desk in front of me and lunge forward to grab my phone. Man, not my best morning. But then again, any day that requires me to get up to go to school doesn't have a pleasant morning to it anyways.

The blurriness subsides and I see the caller ID. Akira? What does she want? Is it to confirm that she got my number? Isaac must have probably gave it to her yesterday. I flip the phone open and raise it to my ear. I take a deep sigh before saying, "Hello," to give a hint that I just woke up.

"Good morning, kid." Akira responds brightly, her voice somewhat recognizable behind the mobile device's speakers. "Eat anything?"

"Not yet, just woke up." I force myself to say through my dry lips. I want to say something clever or funny, but my half-awake mind can't think of anything to say besides simple answers. Maybe a shower would do me some good. Yeah, if I could find it. "You call to check on me?" I ask as I rub my eye and begin pacing around my room.

"Yeah, Isaac was worried sick, since you didn't reply back." Yeah, I probably should have text him back or called him. I could have gotten more time for sleep.

"Sorry, I was too tired to reply. Is he okay?" I inquire.

"Yeah, passed out in our office; we had a lot of work to do yesterday and it isn't over." She explains. She adds a light sigh at the end of her sentence, which sounds like she's trying to cover due to it sounding muffled. Sounds like she just woke up, or even worse, hasn't slept yet. Sleep deprivation is probably one of the worst feelings, especially when piled among heaps of stress. She most likely has to deal with that more than once in her career.

"You just wake up too? You sound tired." I ask plainly. My tone is rather bland and indifferent, as if I was some kind of robot programmed to say these things out of a formality. Maybe that would be true if I wasn't feeling so worried.

"Nah, haven't slept yet; 28 hours and still going." Akira's voice sort of brightens up on her second statement. This was what I was afraid of. "Been juiced up with some caffeine."

"Well, make sure you get some sort of rest, all right?" I guess my concern was pretty obvious since I can hear Akira give a slight, but distant, chuckle. I can't help but feel my message didn't exactly get to her.

"I'll be fine; I've been doing this for more than you can think and less than you'd hope." If she did less than I'd hope, then we wouldn't have to worry about this. "You're not that worried about me, are you?" She says in a playful way, as if we were just having our usual wit battles. I let my silence fill in the answer. "Tai, look," Akira's sudden change of tone throws me a little off-guard, but I was expecting it to happen in a moment like this, "I'm much stronger than you think, having to deal with not only my job and your scatterbrained brother, but my sister as well. She's blind, you know." I don't reply, only listen to what she has to say. I keep my breath audible enough to reassure her that I'm still listening. "It may seem that having no sleep isn't going to help, but times get tough and you have to do what you have to do." If only things were simpler, but that would make life too easy. "And I've learned to accept that, we all do eventually. So don't worry about me, worry about yourself. Besides, I can figure something out, I always do."

"All right." Is all I can respond with. Taking all this in account isn't even close to sobering up in the real world. Heck, I've only touched the brim of it. Man, I just want to live in my own fantasy world for the rest of life, stay a kid forever. But that's not how the game works. Yet you're still forced to play it.

"Hey kid," I break my internal monologue to hear Akira's voice again. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll take my rest now. Still have some time to kill before the trial." In my mind, I give a sigh of relief.

"All right. Then I'll go get something to eat." I reply flatly. Keeping the phone near my ear, I open my wardrobe and proceed to put on my uniform. After getting the pants on, I can barely hear Akira respond.

"Okay. I'll talk to later then, kid." Heh, at least she's off on the whole 'Tai-chi' thing. "Oh, and if you see my sister, tell her I said 'hi'." Whoa wait, her sister goes here? I guess that would make sense, since she is blind. I should have been informed of this earlier, I probably could have missed her. Oh well, it's not like she can see me anyways, so I'm bound to probably not find her anyways.

"I will. See ya." I say as I take my phone out from its position between my ear and shoulder. Akira replies with a quick, "Bye," and hangs up. I go to the home screen and check the time. 5:46 A.M. Quite early. It's funny, I would go to take a shower right about now to help wake myself up, but I'm already halfway through putting on my uniform so I'll just forget it. It's not like I'll smell that bad, right? I must have packed some deodorant somewhere... I proceed to rummage through my luggage, checking every single pocket. Hm, not there, not there... Hey, so that's where my Rhythm Heaven went... Ah, there it is!

I take the stick of deodorant and apply it, before tossing it back in the luggage. I should be good. I make my way to the restroom to use it and brush my teeth. I realize that I forget my toothbrush and toothpaste as soon as I leave my room, so I'm forced to scavenge through my luggage again to find it. Why am I always so hasty? In fact, why didn't I take my bathroom supplies out anyways? Thankfully, it doesn't take too long to find them and I make my way to the bathroom.

After doing my business, I wash my hands and face at the sink. After doing my daily brushing routine—which consists of focusing on my lower jaw for a minute, and then my upper jaw for ten seconds before brushing my tongue—I take a look at my reflection in the mirror. Damn, I look good. Unfortunately, a few of my short hairs are turning from black to gray. Damn stress. This is why we shouldn't be going to school, the stress from tests and homework are going to whiten our hairs, or even overexert our muscles.

I still remember this one time that I had to go to the doctor's because I had a chest cramp. Apparently, school had been stressing me out more than what it was worth, so I was allowed to take the day off. After a few painkillers, it stopped and I resumed with my daily life. Why am I telling you this? To show how much evil school is. If that can happen in high school, I can't wait until college...

The door of the restroom opens and reveals a male teenager with big circular glasses. The bespectacled individual had black hair that spiked up in different ways. His big glasses were tinted to the point where I couldn't see his eyes. He might be blind. If so, that was an incredible feat he pulled off from getting to his dorm to here.

He doesn't seem to have noticed me, since he basically doesn't acknowledge my presence with a greeting, or a simple gesture. I would say something, by my throat is too hoarse to even push through any sort of vocal pattern. Big glasses passes by me and makes his way to the showers. I should have probably guessed that, since he was wearing a towel around his waist. I decide to bolt out before he strips naked and starts the shower. It would be just too awkward for me. Especially since I'm not even going to take a shower. Well, I'm definitely not now.

I make my way back to my room to take my daily dosage of pills. Two per day, right? Oh well, it's not like I can really OD myself with two pills. At least, I hope not.

I grab my phone, stopwatch, and hat, before making my way to the cafeteria. It's gotta be open, right? I mean, my old school would open theirs at 5 o'clock for breakfast, so they got to open theirs here. I certainly hope so, or else I'm just gonna take a walk around the campus.

* * *

Once I reach the courtyard, it's quite simple to realize that barely anybody is awake; no one's walking around and most of the windows don't have their lights on. Of course, the ones with their lights on are the ones at the nurses' office and a few of the classrooms. The sky is barely lit, and the school barely has any street poles to light up the place. Well, at least the air is cool and the place is quiet, so that's a plus. The only thing I can hear is my footsteps as I walk on the concrete.

As I make my way to the cafeteria, only a few students were there. Some of which I barely recognize. I'm able to identify the blue haired girl sitting at the table close to the wall as the girl who sits next to me in class, but she seems to be the only one that looks familiar. There's a girl with long blonde hair sitting at the table closest to the serving counter. Her eyes are closed and she has a metal stick on her lap. Is the stick necessary, I mean no one is going to attack her at this school, who would? I mean, it looks like a baton. Maybe it's one of those police ones where you have to thrust it open.

There is another female student, this time with purple hair that's styled into a ponytail, sitting beside a girl that _doesn't have any hands_. I cringe a bit when the long green-haired girl struggles to pick up a fork with the stubs of her used-to-be hands. The stubs aren't even bandaged, unlike one of my classmates, but they are instead bare, the skin covering it to a dull cone. The purple-haired girl looks to be of small stature, unlike the green-haired girl's tall and mature size. The purple-haired girl happily assists no-hands by feeding her herself.

Upon closer inspection, I can see a tinge of red on the purple-haired girl's face. It seemed barely noticeable at first, but it's there, revealing itself on the purple-haired girl's fair skin. The red shadowing seemed to reach from one side of her cheek to the other, going over the bridge of her nose, almost like a _butterfly's_ wings. That's an odd way to put on make-up. Only now does it occur to me that the reddish coloring looks familiar, like the same color as a rash. Aha, so it's a rash then!

I now realize that I've been standing in the entrance for about a full minute, so I continue to the serving counter at grab the breakfast.

After I receive my barely recognizable food—no really, I mean is this stuff really edible—I scan the room to find a place where I can sit. There's a lot of empty spaces, but three of them are occupied by girls. I could try to approach the blue-haired girl, I mean she does sit right next to me, so we're bound to talk to each other eventually. The other two choices seem a bit too creepy to do, considering they're complete strangers. Well, the blue-haired girl is technically one too, but... Oh screw it, let's just do it.

I make my way to her table. As I make my way closer, I can see she is reading the same photo album she had yesterday. I wonder what's in it. Ah, who cares, it's not like it's any of my business anyways. I just wished she wouldn't keep shining the lamination every time. Agh, there it goes again, flashing the sunrise's reflection! She doesn't seem to notice my footsteps or presence until I talk to her.

"Hey, do you mind if I sit here?" I ask as politely as I can. When she turns to me in wonder, I, for some reason, feel as if a hundred stares were now pointed at me, although there's a population of five in this room—the lunch lady doesn't count.

Her face gives off a look of surprise, as if I caught her doing something bad. Since she doesn't answer immediately, my mind instantly has a flurry of imaginations of what she might respond with; 'yes'; 'no'; a tentative nod; a nervous look around before responding shyly. Should I have chosen to sit here? Was it really a good idea? My self doubt about the whole situation starts to gradually rise as each second of silence passes. Luckily, I'm not sweating... Oh wait, nevermind.

"Uh..." Her voice lingers as her eyes subtly scatter left and right. Not subtle enough for me to miss though. It kind of hurts my self-esteem a little. "Sure." She says ever so softly. She also slightly lifts the photo album she was looking at, trying to cover her face, I believe. Unfortunately for her, I could still peer a little bit over the book and see that her face had a small tinge of red on her cheeks. She must be completely flustered from having a guy ask to sit with her. How cute.

"Thanks." I respond with a nod. I decide that it's probably best to just sit across from her. As I go to move my breakfast to my designated seat, I can see the blue- haired girl's eyes follow me. Although the bottom half of her face is covered by her book, I can still see the look of wonder in her eyes. Maybe it's not a look of wonder, but more like a blank expression on her face, as if she was observing me. It kind of makes me feel uncomfortable, but I know I would probably do the same if some random person just came up to me.

Once I sit down I almost immediately notice her plate of breakfast to the side of her. It almost looks like she hadn't laid a finger on it. Judging by how she's already forgotten I was here and has continued going through the pages of her photo album, she must be really invested in it rather than proper nutrition. Then again, the food on our plates look like it would more or less kill us than nourish us. I give a slightly nervous smile at the blob on my plate before taking my spoon and hastily eating it.

Eh, the food's not bad, but it's not great either. It tastes like I'm eating bland oatmeal. That might be because it is, but I don't really know what I'm looking at. I guess you could call white sewage or really washed-out chowder. Oh god, the thought of that might make me throw up. So, to wash it out, I drink my 'fresh' milk that tastes like it's expired. I don't know why, but I thought the food here would taste better than the food at my previous school. I don't really know why I care, considering I didn't even eat school lunch at my old school. Guess I don't really have much of a choice now though.

As I chew my, I don't know, fourth bite of tasteless sludge, my eyes dart up to the girl sitting across from me, whose eyes shoot back at her book once I look at her. She must have been observing me as I was munching away oblivious to anything except my deteriorating taste buds. For half a second I could see her eyes gaze up at me, then back down to her book. Her face didn't show nervousness, but more like she was expecting me to do something, like if I showed any signs of doing something different.

She does this every thirty seconds, and it makes me feel as though I did something wrong and I need to answer for the crime. Maybe I should introduce myself, that will break the ice right? I mean, right now I feel as though I'm treading in high waters, as if I do something wrong I might sink. Agh, what are you doing, you idiot?! Just say something to her!

"So, uh..." I absentmindedly start off, keeping voice down so I won't cause too much attention in the most silent room in the school. The blue-haired girl's attention is suddenly switched off to me, and she looks at me expectantly. Oh crap, well, it's not like you can really turn back now. "I'm pretty sure you know this, but I'm, uh, Tai." She doesn't say anything and just still looks at me with a vacant look. What is she thinking? She's probably thinking of how much a creep or weirdo I am. A few moments of silence pass by. Dammit, if I don't say anything she's probably think I _am_ a creep. "Y-you know, from class. I'm the transfer student, along with Hisao."

"Yeah, I know. You sit next to me for all four classes." Her response kind of shocks me a little. I didn't expect her to actually say anything, so her answer came up sort of abruptly. I guess I let my guard down way too much. She closes her book and puts it under the table, most likely on her lap. About time we get rid of that barrier. "I should probably introduce myself. My name is Misaki." She says with a grin.

I don't know why, but I find it weird how she doesn't reveal her last name. Maybe I've been watching too much anime, but isn't it a formality for people to refer other people by their last name? She's probably a lot more comfortable using her first rather than her last. Then again, so am I. It feels odd, like I'm getting to know people way too fast here. Guess the whole shy approach doesn't really score you with the chicks.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Misaki." I politely respond. I can see her trying her best to stifle her laugh by covering her mouth with her hand. She's not really good at it though, considering I can hear mumbles of giggling and her body constantly shakes as her laughs escape her mouth. I feel my cheeks get hot and I turn away, trying to find something else to distract me. Why did my dumb mouth have to say that? I must have sounded like the biggest dork in the world. Looks like anime logic has really gotten to me.

My eyes scatter around the cafeteria and I notice that the three other girls are still there. The butterfly and no-hands are still trying to finish their breakfast, but the blonde-haired girl seems to be finished. The blonde-haired girl takes out her metal stick and pulls it open, making the small baton longer. She then grabs her plate, gets up from her seat, and starts walking with the metal stick in her other hand, constantly tapping on the ground in front of her.

"Hey, do you see that?" I quietly say to Misaki as I lean a bit toward her, not turning my attention away from the blonde girl. From my peripheral vision, I can see she has stopped laughing and has decided to lean in close too. This is probably as close as I'm ever going to get with her.

"Hm, what?" She asks, following my gaze. It only takes her a few seconds to realize what I'm referring to. "Oh, you mean her? Yeah, she's blind. She uses that cane to help her walk around." Well, that's kind of obvious, considering her eyes are constantly closed.

"Yeah, I can see that." I say flatly.

"Faux pas." Misaki says swiftly. This takes my attention away from the blind girl over to Misaki, who is flashing me a smug grin. I didn't even realize the poison in my tongue. Fuck, how could I make such a blunder in public?!

"Crap, my bad." I quickly apologize while making an awkward smile as I scratch the back of my head. "But really, that must suck having to walk around without seeing anything. I mean, you would never be able to look a beautiful sights or pictures or people. It's kind of a big disadvantage." I say softly, so the blind student doesn't catch it. My heart kind of jumps a little as I see her stop and slightly turn her head to our direction. Did she hear me just now? Oh crap, not good.

"Well, what about hearing? Or walking?" Misaki asks. I turn my head to her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" I ask. I know exactly what she means, but I just felt like asking it to see her reaction.

"Aren't those big disadvantages too? Without hearing, you couldn't listen to music or talk to anybody coherently, and without walking you couldn't do things like dance, or hike, or run, without prostheses." What is this girl getting at?

"Well yeah, they're all big disadvantages that would make daily life a big challenge, but I don't se—know what you're getting at." Whoops, almost made a faux pas back there. Good thing I caught myself.

"I'm just saying that there are even more hardships besides being blind. I mean, with all those in mind, would blindness be that bad?" Misaki asks. I can sort of see—ha, yeah I know—where she's going.

"Yeah, being blind isn't as bad as, like, being a vegetable, but it's still pretty bad. I mean, I know other people can overcome it, but I'm just saying that they still got it hard." I try to reason. I don't really want this whole talk about disabilities to bloom into something I didn't want it to be in the first place.

"AH!" A loud female shriek fills the room and catches us by surprise. I turn my head to the origin of the scream and it seems to have come from the blind girl. She had apparently fallen down on the floor, near a 'slippery when wet' sign. Luckily, she had sort of caught herself on a nearby chair. This is what I meant when I said not seeing would be a disadvantage.

The two other girls in the room also notice the scream and rush to the blind girl's aid. I get out of my paralyzed state and decide to follow suit.

"C'mon!" I tell Misaki as I beckon her to follow. She gets up rather slowly, compared to how fast she tags along with me. Weird.

We get to the blind girl's side, and the purple-haired girl and the green-haired one had already started to help her up. They both seem to be struggling, which makes sense since one of them has no hands and the other is even smaller than Misaki.

"Here, let me help." I say as I go to reach for the blind girl's other arm. She looks up in wonder and turns her head left and right, as if she was searching for something. She then reaches up at me with her free hand. I take it with one hand and my other grabs her arm for leverage. Wow, she must have fell really bad, she's not putting any force to help herself up. I can also see her clenching her teeth as we pull her up. She must be in pain. The weight of the blind girl suddenly gets lighter, and I see Misaki slightly gripping on the girl's torso for more leverage.

Slowly, but surely, we help the girl up onto one of the chairs.

"Ah, thank you very much." The blonde girl says in relief. I also feel a breath I didn't realize I was holding get let out. It's tough work carrying a person. I wonder how people at the morgue do it.

"No problem, Lilly." Butterfly says with happy smile. Lilly, huh. That's odd, it isn't really a Japanese name, unlike almost everyone else at this school. Then again, she does have a last name. "Always here to help."

"Are you all right?" Misaki asks with genuine concern. At least, I think it's genuine, I haven't really met her long enough to see the difference. Lilly's face turns from a smile to a look of surprise.

"Ah, who might that be?" Lilly asks the purple-haired girl, her hands placed together on her chest.

"My name is Misaki Kawana. I'm from class 3-3." She says as she gives a slight bow. I don't see why it's necessary though, it's not like Lilly can see it anyways. Oh well, it's probably just a formality.

"Ah, I see. You're from the photography club, if I'm not mistaken?" Lilly says as a smile forms across her face. Misaki bites her lip a bit and looks away for a bit before answering.

"Uh, t-that's correct." Misaki says as she places her hands behind her back. Odd reaction. Maybe there's more than meets the eye with this girl. "What about you; what's your name?"

"Ah, that's right, where are my manners?" Lilly slightly laughs. I'm not sure if it's to lighten some kind of tension, but regardless it doesn't have much of an effect on me. "My name, as you may have heard before, is Lilly. Lilly Satou, from class 3-2."

Her last name hits me like a ton of bricks. Satou?! This was Akira's sister?! Now that I think about it, it's kind of obvious; same blonde hair, same last name, the same disability that Akira was talking about, it all made sense. Maybe I'm just freaking out way too much, but this was way too coincidental; it's almost as if this whole sequence was scripted for this event to happen. Meh, oh well.

"What about you?" Lilly's voice breaks my concentration and catches me off-guard, kind of making me jump a little. As I turn to her, she was already looking at me with a patient smile. H-how did she know I was here? That's a little creepy. Maybe it's that whole thing about where a blind person's hearing is heightened, but I haven't even said anything yet.

"Oh, um," I clear my throat before continuing, "My name is Tai Rychtoven, from class 3-3 as well."

"Ah, yes, Hanako has told me about you." Lilly responds with the same smile. Wait, who's Hanako? But before I could ask my question, Lilly continues. "It's very nice to meet you both."

"It's nice to meet you too, Satou-san." I say as I take a formal bow, but stopping halfway as I realize it would only fall under blind eyes. My eyes quickly dart to Misaki, who only covers her laughs once I look at her. Oh yes, keep laughing at my politeness, see where it gets you.

"Please, there's no need to be so formal, you can call me Lilly." Lilly responds, slightly giggling. Well, at least it's not like she's mocking me with her laughs, unlike a certain someone.

"Uh, all right." I comply. I then realize that she didn't answer Misaki's question yet. "Are you okay, by the way?"

"Huh?" Lilly asks, slightly tilting her head in confusion. Heh, it's kind of like how a dog does it.

"I mean, it looked like you fell pretty hard. You didn't injure yourself did you?" I elaborated. Lilly's smile quickly dissipated into an embarrassed look.

"Ah yes, well," Lilly started, "I may have gotten a little distracted by the sound of someone's conversation, that I carelessly slipped on the wet floor. Unfortunately, I couldn't see the sign nor the water, so I had not noticed that the floor was wet." When she said 'someone's conversation', I already knew it was mine and Misaki's.

"Are you hurt? I mean, you seemed like you were in pain." Misaki says with concern. I'm a bit surprised that she asked that, considering I was going to ask the same thing. Lilly chuckles at Misaki's concern. It's not like Naomi's laugh, which is loud and almost obnoxious, but kind of like how I would imagine a posh person would laugh.

"You two shouldn't worry yourselves about it, I should be able to walk just fine. It's most likely just a sprained ankle." Lilly brightly says, trying to sugarcoat her injury. I grimace a bit. Yeah, as if a sprained ankle wouldn't do wonders on a blind person. What is she thinking, that she'll be just fine walking up the stairs by herself with a recent injury? Has she even seen how much stairs there are... What the hell am I thinking, of course she hasn't, you idiot!

"Yeah, that's what worries me." I say, "We should have the nurse go look at it, it might be serious." I suggest as I look to the other remaining girls. Misaki's expression is more or less a melancholic smile, the purple-haired girl looks about as cheerful as Naomi, and the green-haired girl has a blank look on her face. It's nice to see that I have such a cheerful group with me.

"No, it should be fine." Lilly protests, "I've had my shares of sprained ankles, it should heal over time." Well, she's right; it's not as if she had broken a leg, so it would probably be best to just let it rest. But damn, do they hurt like hell.

"Are you sure, Lilly? It might affect your walking." The purple-haired girl says, her smile quickly replaced with a look of worry. Her concerned look reminds me of a sad puppy; it's just so adorable!

"I appreciate your concern, but I'm positive that I'll be fine." Lilly insists. This obviously doesn't reassure the butterfly at all, and neither does it seem to convince Misaki or me as well. I can't really say much for no-hands, considering she is still keeping a bored look on her face.

"But isn't your classroom on the third floor?" Whoa, no-hands has a voice! It's totally the kind of voice that I assumed she would have; a flat, monotone vocal pattern. I think someone's grumpy... Oh well, I would be too if I didn't have hands and was forced to eat white tar by a girl half my size.

"Yes that's true." Lilly gives a slight grimace, making it quite noticeable that she's starting to become a little irritated. I can already tell that her stubbornness is starting to get a little off-hand. And frankly, I'm starting to get annoyed by it too.

"Hey, look." I interrupt. All eyes flash on me and look at me with an unamused look, except for Lilly, who is basically looking at me in surprise. Bleh, I know. "Well, you know what I mean. Regardless, your class is literally right next to me and Misaki's class, so we can help you get to your class and we'll just head to ours right after. It's not so much of a problem, and besides, I'm pretty sure we're done already."

"Yeah, and since our class is just across the hall, we can tag along with ya!" Butterfly cheerful says, her eyes perking up and her body becoming more animated. This girl is just like a child. Why can't all teenage girls be this cheerful? The world would be a much better place...

"Oh, well, if you all insist, then I suppose we can all go to class together." Lilly says, with a sort of happy tone to her voice. I'm not sure if it's from my reassurance or if it's from the purple-haired girl's perky attitude, but at least she has finally made up her mind. Thank god, I thought we were going to be here all morning.

"That sounds great!" Butterfly says with excitement.

"Sure, I guess." No-hands says with the same bored pitch and volume as before. I swear, it's like her and the purple-haired girl are the perfect foil for each other.

I look over to Misaki, who also turns to me at the same time. We were probably both expecting the other to respond first, but now we're just stuck in a staring contest. All right, don't blink... Dammit! Misaki's eyes shift to the left, back at our table. Oh yeah, our poor excuse for food still needs to be dealt with; as in it needs to be disposed of.

"Sounds good, but let us clean up first." I tell the other three before I make my way to the table. I can hear Misaki follow behind, but I grab her untouched plate regardless. She doesn't seem upset about me taking her breakfast, since she reaches for her photo book first.

As she bends down to pick it up from the seat, I notice something rather odd; the left side of her shoulder seemed to hunch forward a little more than her right, even though Misaki didn't tilt her head forward. There wouldn't be any need to anyways, since it wasn't much of a reach. Weird. Is something wrong with her back? I then realize I've been staring, so I quickly discard the food and trays at the trash can.

We both make our way to the rest of the group, and they seemed ready to go. It seems no-hands and butterfly have already thrown away their breakfast, and Lilly is sitting and waiting patiently for us. Oh that's right, she's probably going to need some help walking, and I'm pretty sure that walking stick wouldn't suffice as a good cane.

"Hey, you're gonna need some help walking." I say as I make my way to Lilly. I then place out my arm in front her. "Grab my arm, it's right in front of you." I can see a smile form across her face as I say those words.

"Ah, thank you very much, Tai." She responds with gratitude before reaching up and taking my arm. She then pulls herself up and wraps her right arm around my arm to maintain balance. All right, don't get too excited there, she's just a girl who needs assistance with walking. It's not like you're both dating or anything. Before I forget, I decide to take out my stopwatch and check for the time.

"It's about ten minutes 'till 7:00. We ready to go?" I ask as turn to face the others.

"Yep!" Butterfly responds ever so brightly.

"Mhm." No-hands simply mutters.

Misaki simply nods and quickly rushes to my right side. I turn to Lilly and she just nods and smiles. I don't bother announcing on leaving since it's pretty obvious we're all ready. I make my way to the door with both Lilly and Misaki at my sides, with no-hands and butterfly closely following behind.

Once we make our way to the stairs, I gulp to help prepare myself for this sickening climb. As we make our way up each step, I can feel Lilly slightly gripping at my arm, her nails almost pinching my skin. I can also feel a slight weight on my right side. I turn to see what it is and I find Misaki slightly tugging on my sleeve. Almost like Lilly, she seemed to be lagging a step behind. Does she have a walking problem too?

The voices of other students fill the halls. Well, I guess that would make sense since it's almost an hour until class starts. At least, I think it starts at 8 o'clock. As we pass by a few students, I can see them give me a few looks, some of which I can't really decipher. They're probably giving me those looks because I have two females at each side. To be honest, it makes me feel a little cool, but that sort of feeling completely washes over once we climb the stairs.

Holy crap, I don't know how I haven't noticed it before, but Lilly is really tall! She's about as tall as me! It's funny, because when I look to my right, all I see is a girl who is about three-fourths of my size. In comparison to butterfly, who is half my size. Speaking of butterfly, she and no-hands had been talking together the whole time we've been walking. One could already guess they're close friends just by seeing them together. Heh, reminds of a certain other duo...

We make our way to the third floor in silence, well the three of us that is. Once we get to Lilly's class, we all stop.

"Well, here's our stop." I announce once we halted. "Class 3-2, just like you said. I even stopped right in front of the door so you wouldn't miss it." Lilly gives a brief chuckle before releasing her grip from my arm.

"Thank you all very much for accompanying me." She happily says with a formal bow. "I will make sure to repay you all someday. Oh, and Tai?"

"Hm?" I ask as I take a step closer to her.

"Everyone in this school, including you and me, has a big disadvantage. But don't focus on mourning over it or pitying someone else who has it, but instead try to overcome it. Goodbye, for now." So she was listening in on our conversation. Lilly then starts towards the door, but a certain memory pops up in my mind again.

"Lilly, wait!" I command her. She complies by stopping in place and turning to my direction.

"Hm, what is it?" She responds with a look of surprise on her face. Oh, I'm not letting this slip away.

"Akira says 'hi', by the way." I swiftly say. I can see a look of confusion and shock spread across her face as I start to head to my classroom. Yeah, I bet she didn't see that one coming. Oof, low blow, really low... Misaki quickly follows suit, but the two others stay with Lilly for a bit longer.

"Who's Akira?" Misaki asks. I can't really tell her, it'd take awhile to explain. Besides, it's not like it matters anyway.

"I'll tell you later." I quickly respond. She doesn't seem very pleased with my answer, but she doesn't press the issue. I open the door for Misaki and let her in first, like any gentleman would. But then, I saw it; a weird, abnormal figuration of her back. Her left shoulder seemed lower than the other, with the right one being strangely higher than where it should be. I also notice her hips are uneven, her left hip being lower than the other.

I try my best not to stare, but the image is still pressed in my mind. It wasn't even noticeable if you looked at her from the front, but if you take your time and observe her back, then it all starts to change. The pieces now start to fall into place; her strange bending position, her odd walking patterns, her having to use me as a sort of support as we walked. She must have some sort of spinal problem. Oh well, I try not to let it faze me too much, she's probably very uncomfortable talking about it, especially to an acquaintance you just met.

As my eyes scan the classroom, I spot out a few students I expected to have already been here; there was the blue-haired girl with the knee brace, who looks like she hasn't moved since yesterday; pink drills and her bespectacled friend are still signing away; and the Indian girl and the girl without a left hand seem to be chatting. There's also a few other students that-

"Yo, Tai~!" An all too familiar voice calls out. "Guess who's back~"

* * *

"All right class, let's continue our lesson on quantum physics." Mutou starts, a smile forming across his face. As he starts to write on the chalkboard, I can feel the boredom instantly enter my body. We are juniors, right? So I guess it's pretty understandable for us to be learning about it now, but doesn't this type of lesson have to be in its own separate class? Well, maybe that's not how it works in this country, or school. Oh well, I don't know, I just got here yesterday.

I know I should probably be listening to what Mutou has to say, but I've already learned most of what need about quantum physics back at my old school, not to mention there's some things I need to think about.

One of the things was Naomi and Natsume's disappearance. During the timeline before the start of class and when Misaki and I entered, Naomi and Natsume had decided to converse with me. Misaki left us three to talk as she went to her seat and continued looking at her photo album. But throughout our conversation, I would sometimes sneak a glance at her, only to see her sometimes look at us from her book.

Anyways, Naomi had complained about how I didn't show up after leaving to get us all drinks. She told me that she and Natsume had waited for me for about thirty minutes before going to look for me. I quickly and awkwardly apologized to the both of them, and they both seemed to be content with it. At least, Natsume did.

I didn't even know that I was out for that long. Well, actually, Emi had taken a scenic route to the back of the building to a shortcut to the nurses' office, so that could have been just ten minutes getting to there. Heh, shortcut my ass.

Naomi said that they both went to vending machine, only to see our drinks scattered on the ground. Apparently, no one came by there or just didn't bother to pick up the cans up. So they took all of the drinks and began to search for me. Of course, I was pretty touched that they actually cared about me, and I teased Naomi about it. After having a short and playful argument, she continues by saying that after about twenty minutes, they eventually gave up.

Once I get to the point on asking them where they had been during class, Natsume is the one to elaborate, since Naomi herself said she was 'too embarrassed to talk about it'. Natsume explained that after ending their search, they proceeded to go to the nearby town down the hill.

Before she continued, I questioned her about the town. Natsume replied be saying that there were many things down there, such as a convenience store and a tea house known as the 'Shanghai'.

Natsume continued her story by saying that the two of them spent the rest of the afternoon getting things for their club, and hanging out at the Shanghai. Of course, I scolded them on committing truancy, about as much a foreign student could scold, and Naomi remarked that it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't left them. Following that, Naomi questioned me on what happened to me that day. I explained to the both of them my whole encounter with Emi, and how I needed to go see the nurse. I left out my condition from the explanation, thinking only to tell them if they asked about it.

Naomi laughed at my story. But not in a mocking way, since she explained that they both know Emi and that it was completely like her to do that. I asked her on how they knew Emi, and she replied by saying that they had written about her in their school newspaper. She also said that she volunteered in helping the newspaper club with their papers when most of the members got sick. Natsume claimed that Emi wasn't necessarily the best in writing the articles, but managed to get it done. Hm, interesting; it's kind of like everyone in this school is connected to one another...

A turn my head to face Naomi, and she seems to be staring at the board with a blank expression. She must be fazing out. I don't wave at her, but she seems to notice me and gives me a friendly smile. I grin back and give her a nod before I look down near her feet. Sitting right by her desk was a bag that seemed rather full, since the sides of it were bulging.

I remember Naomi was holding it earlier while the three of us were talking. She said that it was a surprise and that they bought it while they were at the convenience store. I tried to persuade them to tell me what it was, but it only resulted in Naomi teasing me more and telling me if I wanted to know what was in it, I'd have to join them at lunch. Curiosity got the best of me, so I said I'd join them. Maybe I can get a sneak peek if I'm slick enough.

I try to move my head up a little to see what's in the bag, but Naomi quickly picks it up and places it in between her legs. I blink and give an unamused look to Naomi. She mockingly replies by playfully sticking her tongue out at me for a second. I sigh. Whatever, Naomi. You're just lucky that I can't move from this seat. I guess I'm just going to have to wait until later. I turn attention back to Mutou as I continue to listen to today's lesson.

* * *

The lunch bell rings and Mutou's lecture is cut-off short. Mutou gives a sullen look before dismissing us. The students bolt out of the room, especially the girl with the burn scars. Seems like she doesn't really want to be here, but why didn't she just leave earlier? I mean she did it yesterday without getting in trouble, so it couldn't possibly be any harder.

"Ah, Tai." A female voice breaks my concentration. It's not the harsh volume of Naomi's voice, so it has to be Natsume. I turn my attention to the voice and I see it doesn't belong to either of the two, but instead it was Misaki's.

"Oh, Misaki. What is it?" I ask. It's kind of surprising to see her talking to me, since we only met today, and yesterday she would just mind her own business. I guess I didn't really think she would actually want to talk to me after this morning, considering that whole fiasco. Who would've guessed it would end up with her actually speaking to me?

"I was wondering if you would like to have lunch together." Misaki says with a smile on her face. Well, she's straight to the point. I feel my cheeks get a bit hot. I don't know why I'm all flustered about her asking me to lunch, it's kind of like this morning, only this time our roles are switched.

"Oh, uh-"

"Yo, Tai~" Naomi's voice pierces through my ears and causes me to wince a bit. Misaki shares the same reaction and her attention gets drawn to her. Oh great, why now? And when things were going swimmingly as well. I slowly turn my head to her direction. She's holding the bag of secrets with her, securely covering the top so I can't see in it. She notices me looking and she shines a devious smirk. "And Misaki~"

"Wait, you know each other?" I ask as I point a finger at Misaki, and then to Naomi continuously.

"Of course we do, I mean we sit by each other." Naomi states with a slight chuckle. I guess that makes sense, especially since there wasn't really anyone sitting next to her when I came here yesterday. "Oh, and she helps bring in photos for our newspaper articles." That makes sense too. I turn to Misaki, who has her hands behind her back again. This reaction again? I'm starting to notice a trend.

"That's correct, I provide them with the necessary pictures they need." Misaki says, her volume a little softer than usual. Is she embarrassed about her whole photography club? That would explain her odd responses and actions.

"Ah, I see. You did mention your club before, earlier this morning." I say to Misaki, checking to see if my suspicions were correct. As suspected, she doesn't seem to change her position, in fact it looks like she might have tensed up a little bit more.

"Yes." Was all she could say. I few moments of silence past by. Yeesh, awkward. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything...

"Speaking of clubs," Naomi breaks the silence, as I would have suspected, "You're still going to join us for lunch, right?" Oh crap, I totally forgot. I turn to Misaki, who looks at me in surprise. I quickly look back at Naomi and Natsume, and they both seem to be waiting patiently for my answer. I turn back to Misaki, and a solemn look of distraught is spread across her face. Agh, it hurts my soul!

"Ah, I see, you already have other plans. That's all right." She says in a disappointed voice. Oh man, now I feel bad... I can feel a sort of frown come on my face as Misaki grabs her photo album from her seat. Her expression seems to have brightened when she comes back to the three of us. "I'll talk to you later, Tai." She says to me before turning to the other two. "Bye, Naomi, Natsume." And with that, she heads out of the class into the rear of the school of fish.

We sort of just stand there for a few moments in silence, staring at the door. I don't say anything as I turn to the other two. Natsume has her usual face on and Naomi looks rather solemn as well. These two just made me miss my chance to hang out with Misaki. Oh well, I've already had my time with her this morning, so I guess I should at least focus on these two for today. Besides, I'm still wondering what's inside the bag.

"All right, let's get going too." Naomi says, breaking the silence. "Follow me." Naomi heads to the door and Natsume and I follow behind. I wonder where she's taking us...

* * *

My question is soon answered as we make our way to the door. Naomi seems to have cheered up, because now she's skipping in the hall. Natsume hasn't changed though, although I wouldn't have expected her to. Once we get to the door, the sign on the door just practically says it all.

"'The Newspaper Club Room'." I say as I read the sign. Hm, I guess I'll get to see what it looks like there. Wait a minute, why are they bringing me here in the first place? Is this some kind of way to trick me in joining? I turn to Naomi with smirk on my face. "Hey, I thought I told you that I'll think about it, there's no need for you to harass me and drag me here."

"Ha! If we really wanted you to join the club, I would have brought you here over my shoulder." Naomi jokes. I chuckle a little at the response and allow Naomi to open the door for me. "Ladies first."

"Men last." I swiftly say as I walk into the room with Natsume following behind. I don't bother to see Naomi's reaction as I observe the surroundings of the room. The place seems rather messy, especially at the round table in the back of the classroom where a bunch of rubbish and crumbled paper lie. Near the wall of the room was a big machine that I could only guess was the newspaper printing machine. The middle of the class room contained about six tables, evenly spread apart. Each table had about one or two typewriters on it. At the front wasn't really much, just a simple desk with nothing on it. There was one thing that struck odd to me though.

"There's nobody here?" I ask as I look left and right. Surely, it seemed as though it was only the three of us here. Odd. Wait, then why was the door unlocked? Had it already been unlocked and someone forgot to lock it? That's obviously the case.

"Yep." Naomi answers as she passes by me to one of the tables. "Most of the members have been sick or had to focus on their studies, so writing's been slow." Strange. Flu season was only a few months ago. But then again, this is a school for disabled kids, so it would make sense for their immune systems to be quite low.

"That's not good." I point out the obvious. I don't really know what to say, I don't much about this club or its people, excluding Naomi and Natsume. Hell, I don't even know much about this school, let alone a single club.

"No it's not." Natsume pipes up. "Not to mention that the school festival is going to be starting soon." Wait, what? A festival?

"Festival?" I ask. You two didn't tell me about an upcoming festival, what the hell?! So much for being tour guides.

"Oh, that's right we didn't tell you." Yeah, well no duh, Naomi. "Our school has a festival every year, and you so happened to transfer here about a couple days before it starts." Oh lucky me. Oh, and Hisao. Speaking of which, I didn't talk to him at all today. He's been pretty busy with pink drills and her bespectacled, so I guess he's getting a full days worth. Kind of like me right now.

"Oh goodie. So that means I'm probably going to have to help set up, aren't I?" I say distastefully. The poison in my tongue, it tastes good.

"Yeah, that is if the class representative forces you to." Naomi scorns.

"Class representative? Who's the class representative?" I ask. I would really like to know who is representing our class actually. My bet is that it's either on the bespectacled girl or pink drills. I don't know why, but I can just totally see pink drills leading us to do something 'cool' and 'exciting'.

"Hakamichi." Naomi simply answers. Uh, nailed it...?

"Hakamichi? You mean the girl that sits next to Hisao?"

"Nope, the one who sits next to her." Oh, so it is the bespectacled chick. See, I told you I'm a good judge of character. Now where's my prize? "Anyways, enough about that. We've got something else that matters~!" Oh boy, what could it be? Naomi puts down the bag at the table closest to the window and rushes to the empty desk at the front. Natsume and I decide to pull up some chairs and sit at the table with the bag. I try to peer inside the bag, but it seems that Naomi had covered the opening with some kind of tarp. Damn. You know I could take it off, but Natsume is staring right at me, so I decide to just sit down instead.

Natsume comes back with something in her hand. I can't recognize what it is until she slams it down on the table. Holy crap, it's a deck of cards! I haven't seen one of these babies in years! It's kind of like seeing an old friend. I feel a smirk come across my face as I lean back in my chair.

Naomi quickly runs back to the front desk again. She forget something? Well, obviously, why else would she be there? Naomi quickly runs back to the table with something else in her hand. She sets it down carefully next to the deck of cards. It turns out to be poker chips. Sweet, now we something to bet on! Man, seeing both of these things are starting to get me pumped! It's time for some gambling!

"All right, so here's what we're gonna do!" Naomi announces as she starts to shuffle the cards. "We're gonna play some rounds of Texas Hold 'Em. You know what that is, right Tai?" I just simply nod to let her continue. "So basically, after all the rounds, we're gonna tally up our chips. The person with the most chips gets what's inside the bag~"

"Hey, what _is_ inside the bag?" I ask. I don't know, I just don't feel right at trying to win something I don't even know.

"You'll just have to see~" Naomi teases. Of course, why would I think she would spill the beans already? No matter, if it's worth keeping secret, then it should be worth getting.

Naomi stops shuffling the cards and starts dealing them to us. She also distributes our chips evenly; about $500 for each of us. I smirk. Oh this is gonna be fun. I take a look at my cards. 3 of spades and a 5 of diamonds. I raise my eyes to my other opponents. We're all spread out evenly, so we can't look at each others cards, especially since they're flipped over, the designs facing up.

I peer over at Naomi. Her face looks to be of deep concentration as she looks at her cards. I can barely see her slightly bite her lip before she places her cards back down, with a look of determination on her face. I look over to Natsume. Her face doesn't really tell her much. Her eyes move left and right at both cards, and I can see her lips barely moving, as if she were muttering something. Eventually, she puts down her cards. She starts off first with the small blind of $5. I follow by putting in my big blind, which is $10.

It's now Naomi's turn. Is she gonna call, bet, or fold? She doesn't bother to contemplate the decision as she just decides to call. Well, at least she knows how to play, since she just throws in her $10, like you're supposed to. Natsume is up next. She takes a bit of time before deciding to call as well.

With that, our flop is revealed. 4 of clubs, 9 of diamonds, and 6 of spades.

"Hey, a rainbow flop!" Naomi states. I can't help but chuckle at her statement. Not at the fact that there is a rainbow flop, but at the cards within the flop; either a 2 or a 7 will get me a straight, a rather high chance of winning the showdown.

"So it is." Natsume says. The betting starts with her, which she decides to check. It now rolls off to me. Well, there's no harm in betting, the chances seem pretty high to get a 2 or 7 anyways, so it's just as planned.

"Ooh, pocket aces!" I yell victoriously before throwing in a nice $10 in there, as to not scare my opponents away.

"Oh, I see how it is!" Naomi outbursts. She then throws in a $20 chip in the pot. Ooh, a raise. Someone's getting serious! Naomi shoots my sinister smile as she chuckles behind her teeth. Well, it's Natsume's turn, so let's see what she does. Her eyes dart back and forth to the flop and to her cards for awhile. Hm, no twitches, quirks, ticks, nothing. It's like the perfect poker face. No, it _is _the perfect poker face. After a bit, she decides to call it.

"4 of hearts." Naomi announces as she places down the turn card. Well, that's cool. All right, no reason to really bet on this, so I'll just check. Natsume checks, then me, and then Naomi. Soon enough, our river card is deployed.

"And a 2 of clubs." Naomi says as she puts the in the last community card. Yes! I try to keep myself from smiling too hard, since I can feel Natsume staring into me. All right, I think I can bet one more time... Actually no, let's see what the others do.

Natsume decides to check, and I follow suit. I can tell Naomi is thinking about whether or not to bet or check. She couldn't possibly fold, it just wouldn't make sense now. After a bit of time, Naomi decides to check as well. All right, it's time for the showdown.

"Everyone ready?" Naomi asks as she places her hands on her cards, ready to flip them over. I place my hands on my cards and peer under them. 3 of spades and 5 of diamonds. All right, good. Let's do this. Natsume puts her hands on her cards and nods in affirmation.

"All right. Annnnnd..." Naomi says, trying to gain some kind of suspense. Whatever, just hurry up so we can see our hands. "Draw!" At that moment, we all flip our cards in unison. We all look at each others cards; Naomi has a 6 of spades and an ace of diamonds, and Natsume has a 2 of spades and a 9 of clubs. So basically, Naomi has one pair, and Natsume has two pairs. And, of course, I have a straight. I win this round! Booyah!

"Looks like I won this round." I say as I hand my cards to Naomi. She takes them with irritation in her eyes, before handing the deck and community cards to Natsume. I go to reach for my pot. Oh yeah, it feels good to play this again. While Natsume is busy shuffling the cards, Naomi decides to speak up.

"Tai, you're such a cheater!" Naomi says, her cheeks puffed out in annoyance. Heh, it's like when a little girl gets angry. It's kind of funny.

"What are you talking about?! You were the dealer!" I rebut.

"I know you rigged this game, I shouldn't have let you used your cards!" Naomi gripes as she still puffs out her cheeks in irritation. All right, now I know for a fact that this girl is just playing around.

"Rigged it?! These are your cards, you pulled them out just a couple minutes ago!"

"Hmph!" She pouts as she turns her head away and crosses her arms. You're not serious are you?

"Um, the cards are done." Natsume interrupts our little feud. Thank heavens too, I was starting to get impatient. Once we all get our cards, I peer under mine to see what they are.

"Ooh, pocket aces!" I sarcastically cheer.

"Shut up!"

* * *

Eventually, about seven games pass by, with me winning two of them, Natsume winning the other three, and Naomi winning two of them. So far, it seems my chip count is actually a little less than Natsume's, and Naomi is barely a competition anymore. I swear though, Natsume is a really good player, it's hard to tell whether she's bluffing or not. Not to mention, she seems to call out my bluffs as well, resulting in a few folds. Definitely a difficult opponent.

"All right, this will be the final round." Naomi stated as Natsume hands me the cards. "The winner will go home with a fabulous prize!" Yeah, but they have to endure walking with it throughout the whole school day.

It's currently the pre-fold and I'm the dealer. After dealing my cards, and also joking about my pocket aces, I take a better look at my cards; Jack of diamonds and a 3 of clubs. Oof, not a very good hand, but I can't just give up now. I decide to check, and Naomi does as well. Natsume takes her time deciding, and I'm almost tempted to bite my fingernails. But regardless, she decides to check too. Whew.

All right, onto the flop! I draw out the three cards. A 6 of spades, a 2 of diamonds, and a 3 of hearts. Yeesh, not the best flop either. Naomi checks, Natsume check, and I check. The turn card, a 10 of clubs. Dammit, not good! We all do a round of checks, until the final card. I flip it over, not changing my pace.

An ace of spades.

Shit! This isn't good, I've only got a 3 pair with a Jack high. Not the best hand, at all. Naomi doesn't seem too flustered or joyful, unlike her other rounds. She looks almost bored. Maybe she's concentrating? Well, I know one person who is concentrating, and that would be my main opponent. Natsume starts to tap her fingers on her cheek as she lays her head down on the palm of her hand. She's getting impatient. I know she has something up her sleeve, but what? Maybe a trump card?

"Oh yeah, right." Naomi says, snapping out from a daze. She taps the table to check. Now we both await Natsume's result. After a few moments of suspense, she finally makes her move. Oh god, don't tell me...

She takes her arm and puts it at the back of her stack of poker chips, and proceeds to slowly slide it to the pot. Oh my god. Are you fucking for real?! There's no way, this _has _to be a bluff, I know it! But the look on her face says otherwise. But how would I know; it's like trying to read a robot's facial expression.

"Ooh~" Naomi says, with a very mischievous grin on her face. Oh be quiet, you're not helping. "What are you going to do, Tai~?" She's right, what am I going to do? My hand, the community cards, the pot, the risk, the reward. It all came clear to me.

There was only one thing to do.

* * *

**Option 1: "It's all or nothing."**

** Option 2: "I fold."**

* * *

_Tenshi: All right, this is my first time doing this, but I'm going to add in a special feature that allows you (the reader) to help Tai make a certain choice. Now, not every choice you are going to make will decide the fate of Tai, but most of them will pave a path to a character's story arc; whether it be friendship or romance will depend on the choices you let him make._

_Tenshi: So this is how it'll work, some chapters will feature these special options at the end. I'll keep these options up for voting for about 2 weeks from the update. You may either answer these options via the reviews section or a private message. By the end of two weeks, I'll close down the polls and tally the results. Hopefully, your option might get picked._

_Tenshi: I'm really excited about this option since it'll help me force myself to think of different scenarios either than one. So I would very much appreciate __it if you could leave a review or even a message telling me what you think and of your choice on this chapter's options._

_Tenshi: Until then, keep reading on!_


	5. Act 1: Flop, Chapter 4: Chivalry

**Author's Notes:**

_**Katawa Shoujo is owned by Four Leaf Studios. I do not own a single thing. This is a non-profit fan-made story. Viewer Discretion is not generally advised.**_

_Tenshi: Hey there, reader! I know it's been a long while since I've updated, months in fact, but I wanted to make sure that I was able to upload a chapter before school started. Summer homework and such has been keeping me busy far more than I would have liked._

_Tenshi: I'd like to let you guys know that this chapter took awhile making. And by awhile, I mean AWHILE! This damn document has the most numbers of pages I have written: 67 pages! And that's not even including the Author's Notes! It may have been like that because there is a lot of dialogue this chapter, and I actually debated whether or not to make it two chapters or not. Unfortunately for you readers, you're just gonna have to bear through reading a long chapter. Think of it like a game; it'll test to see how far you'll go to read my stuff!_

_Tenshi: Before I begin, I would like to began thanking and congratulating those who have been waiting this long for an update, and are still reading this story. It won't be easy, but I won't let this story get lost! So I WILL finish this story until the bitter end, and I'll need you, the reader, to help me through it. And as always, reading and reviewing will help me too._

_Tenshi: So, without further ado, let's begin!  
_

* * *

**Original Chapter Title: Evaluation, A Blind Date, Labeled by the Numbers, Quirks, Feminist Agenda**

**The Dastardly Duo challenges Tai to a game of Texas Hold 'Em (cont.)**

**After seeing off Naomi and Natsume, Tai decides to accompany Hisao.**

**A trip to the library with Hisao brings Tai to meet a familiar face.**

**Meeting with the librarian, Tai decides to help out with her tasks. **

**Deciding to be escorted to the Shanghai, Tai and Yuuko spend some time together.**

**A walk after curfew causes Tai to be entangled into an odd event.**

* * *

Fuck it, let's do this.

"It's all or nothing!" I say eagerly as I put my arm behind my chips and slide them to the pot. It has to be a bluff! It has to! Either way, I've got nothing to lose; if I folded, I would have already lost.

I look at Natsume to see her reaction. Nothing different really. Damn, girl... Wait, her eyebrow is a little higher than the other, and her lips are curled up a little. Is she impressed or just amused that I've fallen in her trap? Crap...

I look over at Naomi to see her reaction. At least she's more readable; her face shows an easily identifiable smirk, and I swear I almost heard her chuckle. Ah crap, I didn't account for what Naomi might have too. I swear, is this gonna be like in one of those animes where the person you least expect to even play the game correctly is the one who wins?! Man, that would be some BS.

"Heh, interesting." Naomi chuckles. Oh god... "It's my turn now, right? Hmm..." The way she rubs her chin sinisterly is starting to make me nervous, as if she was planning to kill me. I didn't think people could get into poker that much. But then again, I shouldn't be talking. "Well, why not?" Naomi says before sliding all of her chips in as well. "Let me in on some of this action!"

I can feel myself gulp. There are so many things wrong with this. For starters, I shouldn't even be this nervous, considering that we're in on it for a prize that nobody knows, except for my other competitors. It must be worth winning if they're both going to go all-out on it.

"All right, everyone ready?" Naomi announces, almost eager to flip her cards. Here it comes, the showdown starts now! Natsume and I nod in unison. Oh boy, the moment of truth. "3... 2... 1... Draw!"

We all flip over our cards, revealing our hands. The first hand I observe is Natsume's. A 3 of diamonds and... a 5 of clubs. Phew, that was too close. I breath a sigh of relief. Well, by that, I'm pretty sure I won this round. I notice Natsume eying up my cards as well.

For a second, I thought I saw her eyes widen and blink in surprise. That's interesting. In fact, I think that was the first time I've seen her like that. But then again, I haven't known her for that long yet. She then turns to me and gives me a slight grin. Whoa, what's with all the emotion?

"Impressive." She says. It's kind of odd seeing her compliment me. Maybe it's just me, but she doesn't seem to be the complimenting type.

"Uh, thanks." I respond, giving an awkward smile while scratching the back of my neck. I swear, it's like a habit.

"You think that's impressive? Then check out my cards!" Naomi boastfully says, trying to attract both of our attention. I can't help but chuckle from her childish demeanor.

"All right, let's see what you got." I say, replying to her challenge. Honestly, she couldn't have gotten anything better. If she did, it would be almost like a scripted scene or some average slice-of-life funny moment.

Let's see... A 4 of clubs and a 5 of hearts. Wait, what?! What the crap?! Then, that means.

"Hahaha! The look on your face is priceless!" Naomi bursts into one of her laughing fits again. But seriously, this means that she got a straight, which just knocks both of our hands out of the water. Damn. So it did happen. I turn over to Natsume, who looks like she's trying to stifle her laugh. Great, not you too...

"So, that basically means you won. And you didn't just win the pot, but the side pot as well." I say in disbelief. I can't believe it. I... I think I may have jinxed it. Yeah, that's it.

"Heh, you actually sound shocked." Naomi giggles while flashing me devious smirk. That's because things in fantasy shouldn't happen in reality! Okay, just calm down. 1... 2... 3... All right. "You really didn't think I would have beaten you, huh?"

"Not at all. I thought you were practically out of the running." I chuckle. Actually, now that I think about it, it's kind of funny. Who'd have thunk, right? Probably everyone who has read a slice-of-life story...

"Well, you know what that means right?" Naomi asked ever so cheerfully. Natsume and I turn to each other with pretty much the same thought.

"You get to have the bag, right?" I answer, pretty much knowing the answer already. I look over to the bag, which is sitting quite close to Naomi. It's almost as if she had this game in her favor, like she rigged it. Well, she was the one to bring out the cards, so the chances are high. What in the heck is in there?

"Correct!" She says with glee. She then quickly wraps her arms around the bag and drags it closer to her. "I get to have it all~" She sings with happiness as she throws the tarp that was covering it away. She seems rather jubilant. Is she always like this? Does she get this worked up over everything?

I look to Natsume, who is slightly grinning, probably because of Naomi's actions. Wow, does the atmosphere suddenly feel lighter? I swear, hanging out with these two is certainly a weird experience. But, even when thinking that, I can't stop myself from smirking. I actually feel like I'm having fun. I haven't felt this feeling in awhile.

Suddenly, a small piece of candy lands in front of me. It's covered with a cute pink wrapping on it with a strawberry printed on it as well. As for the name, well it's so wrinkled up I can't even translate it. I blink. What the? Where did this come from? I turn my head to where the candy was thrown from. It was Naomi.

"Huh? What's this?" I ask her while holding up the small treat. It looks kind of like hard candy, considering its texture and shape. Probably one of those spherical ones where you suck on them.

"It's candy! I had bought some so I could give it to you when you lost. Kind of like a runner-up prize." Naomi explains while she herself is sucking on one of the candies. I turn to Natsume, who also has candy in her mouth. Wow Naomi, you make it sound like I was going to lose no matter what.

"Oh, uh, thanks." I respond before twisting open the wrapper. I was right; it was spherical and looked like hard candy. Although I'm not too fond of this type of sweets, I can't deny such a prize.

"You only get one of those, all right?" She tells me.

"Yeah, I got it." I say before popping the pink candy in my mouth. Well, it tastes kind of like most strawberry candies. It's very hard to chew, but then again, it is hard candy. And it keeps getting stuck on my teeth. This is why I don't really eat this kind of candy. Thank god that I won't have to see a dentist though.

**Briiiiiiiiiiinnng**

The sharp sound of the bells ringing catches not only my attention, but also the other two's. I take a look at my pocket watch to check if lunch really is over. As expected, it is.

"Wow, we've been playing for that long, huh?" I say, thinking aloud. I guess nine games don't go as fast as I thought they would have. But then again, it was pretty intense. Well, about as intense as any poker match could be.

"Yep, seems that way." Naomi sighs as she gets up from her chair and grabs her bag of mystery. She threw away the tarp right? Maybe I can sneak a peek later. "C'mon, let's get to English."

"Oh boy, yay..." I say unenthusiastically. Natsume just simply nods, and we follow a sluggish Naomi out the door. She closes it and locks it before practically slouching forward and taking slow, heavy steps to our classroom. Looks like someone's not into academics. A sudden thought pops into my head.

"Wait, what about the cards and stuff?" I ask Naomi, quickening my pace to get next to her.

"Eh, the others can clean them up. And if they don't, it'll stay there until they do." She answers in a rather deadpan tone. Yeesh. Someone REALLY doesn't like academics. I guess it would make sense since she wasn't present at English yesterday.

But then again, I'm not a fan of school either.

* * *

The end of the day, finally! I almost thought our history teacher was going to go on and on with his rants. This is what history is like for this class? Man, must suck for them. Well, thanks to him, now I know that we're actually seniors.

As if on schedule, the hallways are filled with students attempting to leave. Now that I think about it, I wouldn't mind going through that if it meant getting out of here. But unfortunately, I think I might get crushed if I attempted to even put my foot in it, so I'll just stick behind.

I look around the class to see who-

"Yo, Tai~!" I can't even finish a thought, can I? I turn my head to Naomi, who's flashing a joyful grin, and Natsume, who still has her blank, observant face.

"Hm, what is it?" I ask while taking off my hat and twirling it. Ah, hat tricks. I would do some, but I don't know jack about any of the tricks.

"Have you thought about your decision about joining the club yet?" Naomi asks. What? You want my decision now? Isn't it a bit too early?

"Don't I get more time to decide? I mean, it's only been a day." I plead. It is a bit ridiculous to ask people to join the day after you told them about it. Is this how they pulled people into joining the club? No wonder a lot of the members have 'been sick' lately.

"More time? But we showed you what the club room looks like and what we do. Not to mention, two beauties that you know are members of the club. How could you pass up that deal?" Naomi attempts to persuade me, ending her coaxing with a wink. Is this persuasion or flirtation? I wouldn't know, I'm as sharp as a gumball when comes to this sort of stuff. Plus, what does she mean when she says she 'showed me what the club room looks like and what they do'? What, they're completely deserted and play cards?

"As tempting as that offer sounds, I still need time to think. I'm still adjusting to this place." I say, planting an excuse on the spot. Truth is, I don't really want to join the club. It might be fun, but I'm not really good with writing articles and such. Plus, playing 'journalist' is not my thing.

"Hm..." Naomi ponders for a few seconds. I wonder, what is going on inside that brain of hers anyway... "Okay, we'll give you more time. But only because you're new here, all right?" Whoa, what's with the aggressiveness? Man, when she gets into an emotion, she gets into it. She's always like this?

"Yeah, got it." I quickly say, wincing a bit from her sudden change in emotion. She then reaches for her mystery bag and heads to the door with Natsume.

"Well, we have to do some stuff at the club, so we'll see you later." She says as she's walking past me. Just halfway to the door, she halts and runs back, kind of like she forgot something. But according to the look on her face, it seems like an idea had struck her. Uh oh, am I going to have to clean up the mess after all? It wasn't my fault, I swear!

"Hey, actually, why don't we do something after that? We weren't assigned any homework today, so you're pretty much free right?" Naomi inquires with an obvious burst of excitement.

"Well, yeah, I guess." I say quickly since I was slightly taken aback from her sudden outburst. It's true that we weren't given homework, which is a little odd. Don't Japanese schools give out more homework than those in America? Eh, I don't know. "But where should we go?"

"Hm..." Naomi looks up in thought. Is there really that much places around here that you have to give it thought? Well, I really wouldn't know the answer to that question, but I don't think that a school on top of a hill can provide much touristic hotspots.

"How about the Shanghai?" Natsume suddenly speaks up. I turn to her with a mildly surprised look on her face. Although I haven't been around them very much, she hasn't actually piped up out of the blue like that. Hell, even Naomi seems surprised. But Natsume is just giving us an inquisitive look, perfectly contrasting our reactions.

Nonetheless, Naomi picks up on it.

"Good idea, Natsu-chan~!" Naomi praises gleefully. That's the first time I heard her say honorifics, especially to Natsume. Well, I guess that's to be expected since they're best friends. Wait a minute, why hasn't she put on honorifics to my name?! "You know that place right? We told you about it yesterday, remember?"

What do you think? I was just transferred here yesterday; hell, I just _got _to this country yesterday, how the hell could I possibly know where that place is?! Ugh, no bother saying that to them, unless I want to be a complete dickhole to them.

"Yeah, I remember, but I don't know where it is." I state to them. It's the politest I can be.

"I can give you directions." Natsume says, stepping into the conversation once again.

"Really? Thanks, that would be helpful." I say, now turning my full attention to Natsume. Her directions to the soda machines were on the dot, so it should be easy to get these set of directions.

...Uh, okay, I'm not so sure about this one. Natsume tells me everything, but I feel like most of it went over my head. I don't ask her to repeat it, I feel like it would just waste her time trying to tell me it when I didn't get it the first time. Besides, they still have club to go to, right?

"All right, so what time should we meet up?" I ask them. Wouldn't be good to end up missing each other after all this planning.

"It'll be after the club, so around 6:30." Naomi states in a matter-of-fact tone. Wow, club activities keep her here that late? She then pulls out her phone from her bag and flips it open. A red flip phone, huh? I, uh... didn't expect that. Thought she would be more of a 'pink' type of person. "Crap! We're gonna be late!" Naomi screams in disbelief, while also placing her free hand to her head in panic. "Sorry, Tai, we got to get to the club! We'll talk to you later!"

"All right. See ya." I say before she rushes her way to the door.

"Mm. Goodbye." Natsume says as she slightly bows her head before walking past me to catch up with Naomi.

"Yeah. See ya." I reply as I nod. The two leave the classroom within the the dying school of fish. Hmph, well, good luck for them. They probably have to clean up their mess or something. Actually, if I had decided to join them, they probably would have made me done labor work. Heh, I'm actually glad I decided to extend the time.

Hm, so we're going to the 'Shanghai', huh? A supposed tea place, right? I'm not much of a fan of tea, but it wouldn't hurt to try. They say that it's helpful to the body, and considering my internal wound, I'm gonna need as much help as I can get. But spending more time with Naomi and Natsume does sound interesting. Hopefully, I'll get to know them a little better.

A sudden thought of that mystery bag suddenly pops into my mind. I still wonder what's in there. And it's still pretty BS that Naomi won. Eh, oh well, I don't even care anymore. They probably just filled it up with rocks so they could mess with me if I had won. But that candy she gave me was pretty good. Probably gave me a cavity or two, but it was worth it.

I look around the room. It's nearly empty. For once, the girl with the knee brace isn't here. But, as if to replace her, Hisao is now sticking around. In fact, he's talking to his friends, pink-drills and deaf-chick. Hm... are these nicknames a little too harsh? Nah.

Who else is here? Well, unfortunately for me, Misaki isn't here. She must have left earlier than the Dastardly Duo. I still wonder what she wanted to talk to me about during lunch. It probably wasn't important, she most likely just wanted to hang out or something. Still though... Remembering that image of her back...

I shake my head. Just... try to forget it. No point wondering unless she brings it up. I look at the door. I don't even bother to notice the fact that the school of fish is still out there. I just want to get to my dorm. Got to rest up, right? After taking one step outside the door, a familiar voice calls out to me.

"Hey, Rychtoven-san." The voice that struggles with my last name seems to be coming from behind me. I have an inkling of who that could be. I turn my head to the voice. It seems I was right.

"Hello, Hisao." I greet him back. Considering that I heard him jog his way to me, and that his expression just says 'Oh crap, I forgot,' I can guess that he's gonna ask me something. "Need something?"

"Uh, yes actually. Do you know if the library is closed now?" He inquires. I cock an eyebrow at him. The library? Hisao's into reading? Now that I remember, he did say it was a hobby of his during our introductions.

"The library? Um, I don't think so; school just ended, so I think it should be open for quite a bit." I say, furrowing my brow. A library, huh? From my previous experiences, libraries have some cold air conditioning. Considering this heat and month, I would love to have some good ol' AC. "Mind if I join you? I would like to check out a book or two."

Hisao's eyes widen in surprise. What? Was that too random? He's probably just not used to this school and its people yet, so that could be the reason for his reaction. Then again, he's hanging out with deaf-chick and pink-drills.

"Oh, sure. Let's go." Hisao nods after blinking in surprise. Wait, does he even know where to go? I think I sort of know the way... Damn you, Naomi.

"You know where it is?" I ask him. Doesn't really make sense that he doesn't know when it closes if he knows where it is. Oh well, best to make sure.

"Yeah, I think. Got directions from Shizune." Hisao explains, scratching the back of his head at his first sentence. Wait, Shizune? Who's that? Eh, doesn't matter. It's not like I'll ever meet this 'Shizune' anyways.

"All right. Lead the way." I say, moving aside so he can go in front. He does so and I follow suit. Great, I hope we don't get lost.

* * *

It's been about a minute or two since we left the classroom, but we still haven't come across the library yet. It's not like I was expecting to find it instantly, but the way Hisao turns his head left and right at each door makes me doubt whether or not he actually knows where it is.

… Silence. Well, now's about a good time as any to start up a conversation.

"How's the school been treating you?" I ask him. He looks at me in surprise, probably because he wasn't expecting me to say anything. At least, that's what I think. He looks away in thought before giving me an answer.

"Good, I guess. It's still going to take some time for me to get used to it though." He says, looking slightly uncomfortable. Man, he needs to learn how to relax. It's not like I'm walking around without an arm or anything. But I guess I can't blame him, since every student is in this school because they have some sort of disability.

"Yeah, that's true. Not everyday you see a girl in prosthetic legs run past you." I try to joke. It seems this situation could use one. After saying that, a sudden image of Emi pops into my head. Haven't seen her since yesterday. Wonder if she is going to repay me... That reminds me, didn't the Nurse say something about running the track with Emi? Well, at least Naomi showed me where that is, so I could stop by after visiting the library.

"You're talking about that girl in our class that sits in front of me, right?" Hisao asks. I actually didn't think about her. That Indian chick, right? Well, I wouldn't know since I sit on the other side of the class.

"Well, not particularly. There's probably a lot more people in this school with prosthesis." I explain. Yeah, although I only saw two. But then again, we are on the third floor, so I wouldn't think the school would put people with prosthesis up here. Oh, but, you know, blind people are fine. Pfhh.

"Oh, it just sounded like you were talking about a specific person." Hisao states. Did it really? Hm, guess it did. It was just an analogy, even though I have nothing to compare it to...

"Well, just beware of a small girl with twintails wearing prosthesis running down the hall. It's not a pleasant encounter." I say in joking manner, although I'm subtly warning him. I don't know what his disability may be, but it still doesn't feel nice regardless. Hisao slightly chuckles, and, for once, seems intrigued.

"I'm guessing she ran into you?" Oh Hisao, you couldn't be any more right.

"Yep, and hard too. I ended up going to the Nurse. If she had been larger, I probably would have went to the hospital." I say. It's true. Besides, who decides to run in a narrow hallway when you know that all of the students in the school have some form of disability? I guess whatever reason she had for rushing must have been important. Yeah, important enough to also run into four previous students. You know, I have the feeling that Emi sneezed twice just now.

"Wow, really? That hard?" Hisao's eyes widen in surprise. Shouldn't be so surprising really, considering what school we go to.

"Well, it definitely knocked the wind out of me." I chuckle. Yeah, to say the least. Thank god it didn't reopen my wound. All right... I should probably quit bagging on her now. It was partially my own fault anyways, going after that stupid can. Regardless, I feel like this conversation isn't getting anywhere. "Changing the subject, what are you planning on getting at the library?"

"Oh, uh..." Hisao looks away for a bit, formulating his answer. Well, you do go to a library to read books right? You could also look up information too, but ever since the internet, libraries are typically for your own reading time. At least, that's how I think of it. Pffh, what am I saying; I'm practically tagging along with Hisao to look something up too. "You know, just some books to read on my spare time. I'd like to see what they have in there."

"Do you have a preference?" What kind of books does Hisao like? I guess just by looking at him he would be into... mystery novels? What the hell are you saying; that's _your_ preference, dumbass. But I can imagine Hisao being into those types of stories. Or maybe fantasy books. I don't know, I've never attempted to judge a person's favorite book genre.

"It doesn't really matter. I can pick up and read any book, as long as it interests me." Hisao says. I guess he does seem like an all-around type of avid reader. I suppose I can be like that too. Unless it's a romantic story; too lovey-dovey for me.

"What books have you read?" I know one book I've read had to do with some rich, genius kid who held a fairy, or something, for ransom and stuff. I think he was named after some Greek deity or something. Hisao looks up in thought again, as if the answer was on the ceiling. It's not long before he answers again.

"I think I've read 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' before." Hisao says in a matter of fact tone. The one by Lewis Carroll? I don't bother to say it since it's pretty obvious.

"Oh, I've read a bit of that before. Didn't get very far though." Yeah, my reading prowess isn't exactly the highest. You would have to get me _really_ sucked in for me to attempt to finish it. I don't know, I just never thought I had the time for stuff like free reading. Then again, I just played video games almost everyday so...

"I see... What about you?" Wow, I'm actually having a conversation with Hisao. The first time we met we barely said a word to each other. I guess he's gotten comfortable in this school after all—or, at least, me. But he's a likeable guy, I guess. It's been awhile since I've met those kind of people.

"What books did I read?" I ask, pointing to myself. Hisao nods in confirmation. I pause to dig inside my brain's history. Hm, I haven't read many books in the past few years. Well, I think I remember reading this one book in the hospital. "Uh, well... I think the earliest book I could recall was about a zombie-infested, apocalyptic world and how the humans were dealing with it. I think the title had a 'z' in it or something."

"Really? I haven't heard of that one." Hisao says, giving me a inquisitive look. Oh that's right, there would be no way he could have heard of that book. At least, I don't think they have it in Japan.

"Yeah, it's an English book, and it's fairly recent so I don't think there's been any translations yet." I explain to him. Hisao nods. Hisao continues by asking me what my favorite genre is.

The conversation continues...

* * *

"...And that's how I broke my arm." I finish my story. I don't know how we got from books to movies to our childhoods, but I don't mind. Well, actually, it was just me and talking about my childhood. Hisao seemed rather vague when he was explaining the timeline from his childhood to now, especially up to his disability. He only just said it had something to do with his heart. I only got up to my mid-childhood, so I didn't tell him of my condition, nor how it happened.

"Really? Your brother caused it?" Hisao asks, trying to confirm what I had said earlier. I nod in affirmation.

"Yep. I never let him live it down." I state before adding a brief chuckle. Wait, I've just realized that all we've been doing is walking and talking. And for quite a bit too. Shouldn't we have found the library already? Hisao's been keeping an eye out, but we haven't come across anything so far. "Hey, are you sure you know where you're going? We've been walking around for quite a bit now." I say as I scan left and right, hoping to find it.

"Yeah, I followed her directions. It should be somewhere in this building." Hisao explains while he also tries to search for the library. Well, maybe the directions were wrong. Or that Hisao didn't actually follow the directions. Either way, it looks like we're going to have to turn this building upside-down until we find it.

"Think we should just ask other students for directions?" I suggest, turning over my hand so my palm is facing up. Then again, that's kind of what got us into this whole thing.

"That would be fine, but I think this place is empty." Hisao states. We both stay silent for a few moments to confirm his statement. Surely enough, the place is as silent as an abandoned hospital. Thankfully the sun is still up, so it isn't as eerie.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." I agree while turning my head from my left to my left, scanning the area. Once I return my vision to the front, I see something that catches my interest.

"Hey, doesn't this floor look familiar?" I can imagine Hisao looking over his shoulder as he says this. "Kind of like the first and second floor?" I squint to focus my vision at the point of interest. It seems to be a door that is slightly ajar.

"Maybe this place isn't so empty after all." I mutter as I continue looking at the partially open door.

"What?"

"See that door over there?" I look over to Hisao and point at the door. Hisao follows my my finger's direction and notices the door. "It's slightly ajar. Someone's most likely in there. We could ask for directions to the library."

"Or it could be the door to the library." Hisao states. Well, we can't rule that out either, but really, who makes a library on the third floor of a building? I've heard of schools having them on the second floor, but not the third. Regardless, this is enough reason to investigate.

"Let's check it out." I say, taking the lead to the door. We make our way to the door. We look at the door in front of us. I look at the side where the door is slightly open. It doesn't seem like there's a doorstop or any kind of stopper that's keeping it open. Then again, the thin line that's separating the door from its frame probably couldn't fit a doorstop in it anyway.

We both just look at the door, not moving. We're both just standing there, whether it be in fear or suspense varies. Some might say that it's rather inviting, but I can't help but feel like there's an impending doom behind it. Like it's a gateway to a room that could completely change my life. I've read enough mystery novels to know that whatever is behind an ajar door could taint my rather dull life.

But you know what? Fuck it. Most of my life is me gambling anyway. And if what's behind this door is what I think it is, then I shouldn't have to worry about gambling my life, since the perpetrator rarely sticks around.

Mustering up all my courage, I slightly push the door open. The door slowly swings open, making a creaking noise as it continues to the right. Oh god, a creaky door means there's a dead body. I'm so screwed. I'm so screwed!

Once the door finally opens wide enough to see the room, a bright flash of sunlight surprises my eyeballs. I cringe and keep my eyes closed for a bit. Damn sunlight. Once I open my eyes, there's a person I didn't expect to see in there. No it's not Naomi or Natsume, or even Hanato. Instead, it's...

"Hello there. May I help you?" Says the long blonde-haired girl I remember as 'Lilly' from this morning. Wow, what are the chances of that happening? Not only that, but what are the chances of seeing her in this kind of light; I couldn't see it before, but the sun is reflecting off of her fair skin, while also accentuating the beautiful glow of her eyes, which are empty and void of pupils, like a sea of blue. Even her hair is given shine, the yellow seemingly resembling the sun's rising on a brilliant spring morning. She's perfect, like she was constructed by the angels. How could I have not seen this during this morning? Hell, even thinking about being so close to a girl with such beauty starts to make me feel embarrassed.

I look over to Hisao, who seems to also be mesmerized by the sight. Can't blame you there, buddy. Just knowing that there are girls like this in this world, hell, in this school, restores my faith in humanity.

"Uh, hi. Sorry for intruding, we were just... kind of lost." Surprisingly to me, Hisao is the one to talk first. You said you knew where you going earlier, but now you admit that we're lost? Whatever, man. Oh, I should probably confirm my presence to her; don't want her to think that there are more than the three of us here.

"Yeah, we both kind of just stumbled upon here, hoping to ask for directions." I say as I embarrassingly scratch the back of my neck. I don't know why I'm doing it, since she can't see me anyways. Just a force of habit, I suppose. Just as I say that, Lilly's eyebrows rise up and her mouth slightly opens in surprise.

"Is that you, Tai?" She curiously says. Whoa, she can tell by just my voice, especially since I only met her today? Damn, I guess it's true when they say that blind people have special hearing powers. I wonder if she can hear a needle drop from a mile away...

"Yeah, it's me. Um... Good afternoon." I say as politely as I can. It's more to match her politeness than anything else. Lilly chuckles, just like she did from my introduction this morning. Her elegant laughter combined with the glow of her beauty is enough to put anyone at ease.

"Good afternoon to you too. Please, take a seat, both of you." She replies with a bright grin on her face. Hisao and I turn to each other. There's no reason not to, and I'm not one to pass up something like this, so we both decide to take a seat. Hisao decides to sit opposite of Lilly, so I'm left with sitting in between them with my back facing the sunlight. I guess it's better that way, I wouldn't want to get blinded by the sun the entire time. But it sure is hot...

Despite the heat, it's rather calm and relaxing. Even the breath of silence is serene; it isn't awkward at least, in fact I wouldn't even mind being in silence right now. But if I let that happen, I feel like Lilly might start to think that we left or something. Then again, she does have those super hearing powers.

"I take it you're a new student to Yamaku?" Lilly asks with closed eyes. Even with closed eyes, I can already tell who she's talking to.

"Ah, yeah. I just transferred in yesterday." Hisao responds hastily. Actually, it seemed like he tried to match Lilly's soothing voice, but reacted a little too fast. I guess I can understand the feeling of being nervous, especially around someone with such a calming aurora. Lilly opens her eyes, like she's going to say something.

"I'm Lilly Satou. Pleased to meet you..." She says, dragging on the last word as to ask for Hisao's name.

"Hisao. Hisao Nakai." Hisao plainly says. Guess there's no simpler introduction than that. Lilly nods and gestures roughly in the direction of her teacup. I think she wants some tea or at least something to drink.

"Would you both care for a drink?" She kindly asks. Or she wants to make some. That too. I don't really know how to make tea in the traditional way; my parents usually made tea by using teabags and water. Unfortunately, I don't spot any teabags anywhere, so I'm guessing she uses leaves. Then again, I've never seen a blind person make tea before.

"Sure." Hisao responds. He doesn't even take into account that a blind person is making the tea. Or at least, the thought escapes him. As for me, I don't really sit well with that thought. But then again, what can I do; I've never made tea before. She probably knows how to make tea anyways, it wouldn't make any sense if she offered to do so and she doesn't know how to.

"Yes. Thank you." I affably say as I nod in thanks. I was raised to act like this when exposed to such generosity, so I don't really think it's odd. Lilly grins again before getting off her seat and heads to a nearby shelf. One thing I noticed while she was walking to the shelf was that she wasn't limping like this morning. Good, it looks like her ankle has healed.

"So, um..." Hisao starts. His voice catches me and Lilly's attention, since she had slightly tilted her head towards his voice, and her eyebrows had furrowed to distinguish that she is focusing on listening. "You two seem to know each other, although we had just transferred here yesterday."

"Ah, well," I say as I embarrassingly rub the back of my neck, "The thing is that we just met this morning; she had apparently fell and sprained her ankle after the fall. Luckily, I was nearby and had decided to aid her by escorting her to her classroom, since it was just a minor injury."

"Is that so?" Hisao says, dragging on the last word.

"Yes, that's right." Lilly says as she nods. I look back at her and notice that she is smoothly preparing the tea, like she had done this for years. Remarkable. "I must thank you again for escorting me this morning. I'm not sure how I would have made it to class without you."

"No problem. I couldn't just let you go without any assistance." I courteously say. Well, what else could I have done? It would have been a dick move if I had left her, so it only seemed right. But now my kindness is being payed off. Sweet!

"So," Lilly starts off, "Which room were you two looking for? It's not often this classroom is visited after school." Yeah, especially when the door is suspiciously ajar like there's a corpse inside. But it's still kind of funny that she makes a faux pas regarding herself.

"The school library. Shizune and Mi—I mean, some classmates, told me it was on this floor, and Rychtoven-san decided to tag along." Hisao explains, while still struggling to say my last name. It makes me feel kind of bad. Plus, it does seem like a hard name to pronounce if you either looked at or spoke Japanese originally. Not that many vowels to help enunciate it. Also, there's that name, 'Shizune', again.

"Just call me Tai, man." I tell him, stifling a chuckle. I'd prefer to be called by my first name from those that are in the same grade as me. It just seems rather awkward and a little too formal. It's probably just a formality, but I'd prefer to be casual at least. But adults can still refer me by my last name, that's fine.

"I'm aware of Miss Hakamichi, as are most students. To be with them means you're in class 3-3 with Tai, no?" Lilly asks as she continues stirring the teacup. So Shizune is at least one of the two girls that Hisao was hanging out with. Considering that the bespectacled chick only seems to do sign language, then I think it's safe to assume that Shizune's the girl with pink drills. Hisao did say that she told him the directions, so it makes sense.

"Yup, that's correct. With Mutou as our homeroom and science teacher." I decide to say it for Hisao. Lilly gives a slight giggle before she sets down the spoon she's using to stir the tea with. She then starts to slowly walk towards the table with a teacup and saucer in hand.

"He's quite a character. I imagine you'll both come to like him; most do." Lilly says as she approaches closer. Deciding that it would be for the best—considering it'll lessen the risk of her spilling it—I get up from my seat to help her.

"Let me help you out." I say as I quickly approach her. Lilly stops in place and slightly giggles at my politeness. Is me trying to be complaisant that humorous? Because everyone seems to think it's funny today or something.

"I appreciate your kindness, Tai. But I'll be fine; I've been doing this for quite some time now. So please, just sit down and relax while I give you two your tea." Lilly declines my offer, but with a calm and serene tone, like the kind you would hear from a caring mother. I don't know why she's denying my help, there's no reason not to. Is she those types of girls who want to be independent? If so, then I want nothing to do with her. Regardless, I shouldn't just the let the blind girl do all the work.

"No, I insist. You've been treating us by making tea, so helping you serve it is the least I can do." Just all sorts of kindness today; why stop now? Lilly thinks for a bit before she nods and smiles in gratitude. Looks like she gave in. She really is a stubborn one, just like this morning.

"All right, if you insist. Just be careful, the tea is hot." She says before extending the two items in her hand for me to grab. I could of probably guessed it was hot, due to the steam coming from it. Good thing she didn't give herself a second-degree burn.

"I got it." I say as I take the two items from Lilly's hands, establishing my grip as to not drop them and to make sure Lilly knows I'm holding onto them. Once she confirms that I have the grip, she releases and slowly walks to her seat. Despite the heat, I don't struggle with handling it as I take it to the table. Placing the cup of tea and saucer in front of Hisao, I then go to the counter where Lilly was preparing the tea to retrieve my tea and another saucer. It's still steaming hot, thankfully.

"Thanks, Satou. It tastes really nice." Hisao says. He apparently seems to have already taken a sip. I still have yet to try mines. I make my way back to my seat, placing the scalding drink on the saucer in front of me.

"Lilly, please. There's no need to be too formal." Lilly says, a subtle giggle able to sneak its way into her first sentence. Kind of reminds me of how we first met. I smile from the ease of tension and decide to drink my tea. I blow on it as to not burn my tongue. Always hated that feeling, especially the after-burn.

…

Ehh... Like I said, I'm not much of a tea person, but at least it's making my body nice and warm. Despite it's blandness, I take another sip.

"Yes, I agree, Satou; it tastes great." I gratefully say before taking another sip. I'm just really thirsty from being in this heat all day. Although a hot drink might not help as much...

"Thank you, both of you." Lilly says with a smile that matches the atmosphere. In fact, I think Lilly is setting the atmosphere. It wouldn't feel the same if it was just me and Hisao in this room drinking tea. In fact, the atmosphere then would be really dense.

"So which class are you from? I imagine it's one of the third-year classes." Hisao says, continuing the conversation. Since I already know the answer, I decide to say nothing and continue drinking my tea. I would rather be drinking my wine right now. It's probably nice and cold in the mini-fridge I put it in. Maybe I'll drink some later tonight...

"Correct, I'm in class 3-2; which is on the third floor, same as both of yours. It's taught by Miyagi, and is specifically for both blind and partially blind students." Lilly explains. I guess it would make sense for her to be in a class with all visually impaired students, but why does it have to be on the third floor? Isn't that kind of, you know, inconvenient? At least make it its own separate building, or build an elevator, maybe. But no, three cases of stairs. Damn, no rest for the disabled...

"I see." Hisao blindly says.

"Faux pas." I quickly say before taking another sip from my teacup. Thanks to this morning's events, I try my best not to say something so careless. I mean, if I said that to a girl who was blind, I probably would have screwed myself of any chance to get close with that girl. So yeah, good going Hisao...

"Ah, I mean, uh, s-sorry..." Hisao says in a panic, realizing his mistake. I'm surprised he didn't give himself a facepalm; he seems rather upset at himself for making such a blunder. Don't worry man, you'll get used to it... after your third time, maybe...

"My my, there's no need to change your speech on my account." Lilly slightly chuckles. I wonder if she really is taking amusement in Hisao's sheepishness, kind of like my politeness. Regardless, at least Lilly's able to just take the faux pas in stride.

"Yeah, but when you mess up twice, your brain kind of just throws out all the words that relate to eyesight." I jokingly say as I lean on the palm of my hand. It's the best I can do without looking insensitive. I guess Lilly finds it humorous, since she chuckles from my response.

"Yes, that's what most of my acquaintances tend to do. But please, feel free to speak however you like; I wouldn't want my condition be a hindrance to the both of yours vocabulary." Lilly insists. Well, as long as I have her consent, I won't have to worry about myself unconsciously saying a faux pas.

"Ah, sure. Sorry, I guess I'm really showing my newness here." Hisao apologizes, still seeming rather guilty for his mistake. I can't really say it didn't make me feel like a heartless asshole either.

"An environment like this would be a big change, so I can't fault you for it. While the same can't be said for everyone, many have to come to terms with their conditions." Lilly responds with a piece of advice. Yeah, she's right. I'm not sure if I've come to terms with my condition, but sticking with it for about a year has taught me to just abide by it. But that doesn't mean I have to like it either.

"Do you come here to drink tea often? It's a really nice place." Hisao says, completely changing the subject. He did look uncomfortable while Lilly was giving her piece of advice. But it's good that he changed it anyway, that conversation was going nowhere. Lilly's eyebrows lower before she replies.

"I come here fairly often during lunch times. My duties as class representative don't leave enough time for an 'official' club, so a friend and I use this room for having tea." Lilly elucidates. I'm guessing her friend might be this 'Hanako' she mentioned earlier today. It's more of a hunch than anything. I look over to Hisao, who looks like he's intently listening. I just take another sip of tea and let the conversation continue.

"What kinds of clubs are there to join?" Hisao asks. I would have guessed that the girls Hisao talks to would have told him everything about the school, considering one of them is the class representative. Hell, even Naomi told me about most, if not all, of the clubs in this school.

"Hmm..." Lilly's smile slowly dissipates as she starts to think. "The more popular ones are the track and field club, which uses the field near the school during lunchtimes, the baseball club, and the book club in a room near the library. There are also numerous small ones too, though, such as the art and music clubs."

"Yeah, there's also a newspaper club too." I include into Lilly's explanation before taking another sip of tea. Hey, if I end up being forced into joining that club, then I at least want someone I know to join with me as well, and I don't think Hanato is the type of person who's into writing.

"Ah, you know about that club?" Lilly inquires as she turns her head to me. Odd, especially when her eyes are closed. I guess I can't blame her reaction, knowing about a club after the first day of school is a little strange, especially if you're a transfer student. Thankfully, I got the head of the club to show me around the school, so it's practically given that she'll tell me about her club.

"Yeah, a few students from my class are in it and told me about it." I say. I don't think there's much point to telling her about Naomi and Natsume, she most likely doesn't know about them anyway.

"Oh, are you referring to Inoue?" Or maybe she does, apparently...

"Yes, I am actually. How do you know her?" I inquire back. Now this ought to be interesting. I can only think of a few ways she might possibly know about Naomi.

"She typically visits my classroom to hand out the school newspaper to us. Since our class mainly consists of visually impaired students, we need to have our copies printed in Braille, so she has to confirm that our classroom's copies are accurate to the actual copies with me." Lilly explains. So one of my assumptions was correct.

"Ah, that makes sense. It's too bad that she's almost forcing me to join though." I state before taking another sip of tea. I'm starting to run out. I look over to Hisao, who still has quite a bit of tea left. Did he even drink any of it yet?

"Ah, that sounds just like her." Lilly giggles. "She's usually very brash and assertive, so please don't take it too seriously." I suppose they must have hung out a bit as well, since she seems to know her personality. Well, I can agree with her though.

"I'll try not to." I say before taking another sip. Another sip and I'll probably be finished. As much as I would like another cup, I possibly couldn't ask Lilly that. Plus, a bitter aftertaste is starting to form on my taste-buds.

"So, is it compulsory to join a club?" Hisao says, getting back to the topic on hand. I'm not sure whether he's actually listening to me and Lilly's conversation or if he just flat out ignores it, but at least he's keeping the pace.

"It isn't, though it is encouraged." Lilly plainly says with a smile on her face. I guess that's good to know. I thought it was common for Japanese schools to make it mandatory to join clubs. Good thing that's not true here.

"Ah, good. That's a relief." Hisao sighs in relief. Yeah, I feel you, man. Lilly seems rather amused by Hisao's reaction. In turn, I can't help but laugh as well. Like I've said before; girls, affecting our bodies without us even knowing.

...Shit, my cup's empty.

* * *

The orange tint of light hits my eyes as I go to reach for my pocket watch. Damn, we've been here for quite some time. Luckily, it's only ten minutes before 5:00, so I should be safe.

"Huh, the time's gone quickly." Hisao states after finishing his cup of tea.

"Sorry?" Lilly asks in confusion. It makes sense, she wouldn't know what time of the day it is by looking outside, so...

"The sun's starting to set and it's nearing 5 o'clock." I state, putting away my pocket watch and finishing my cup of tea. I can't believe myself, I had a blind person make me tea not just once, but three times. But for the third time, I watched how she made the tea, so I kind of know how to do it now. I'll just need some practice.

"I'm sorry, Hisao, Tai. I didn't mean to keep you from the library for so long." Lilly apologizes with a smile on her face. Well, I'm not too mad; it's not like I _really _wanted to visit the library. But for Hisao, I don't know...

"Ah, no, it's okay. The library's still open, isn't it?" Hisao quickly says. Okay, at least he's not angry about it. If I urgently needed to go to the library, I would have already lost my patience.

"True. It's open until 6:30 during weekdays." Lilly confirms with a nod. All right, good. Then I have enough time for both then. Hisao glances at his watch before answering.

"Hmm, we might get going in that case. It's been nice talking with you, Lilly." He says, probably preparing to leave. Wait, but we don't even know where the library is yet. Let's not be too hasty.

"It was my pleasure." Lilly says with a nod. Suddenly, she then gives a look as if she had just thought of something. "Oh, come to think of it... shall I show you two to where the library is?" As much as a help as that may be, I seriously can't ask her for anything else; I would be practically freeloading at that point.

"We couldn't possibly ask for more help. We should be able to find it all right." I swiftly reply. Hopefully if we look long enough, we'll eventually find it. That, or Hisao's 'excellent' navigational skills could find it.

"It's all right, I was going to be talking to the librarian there in any case. I could introduce the both of you. Plus, it's the least I can do for you helping me this morning." Lilly says, offering to guide us. Really, her making me tea was payment enough, she doesn't have to escort us there.

"If you're sure, then that'd be great. Thanks." Hisao says, taking up Hisao's offer. Well, looks like there's no choice now. Although I feel a little guilty about it, as long as both Lilly and Hisao seem satisfied, then I guess it's fine.

"Will you be accompanying us, Tai?" Lilly asks me, turning to my general direction. Well, it's certainly an offer I—or in this case, Hisao—can't resist.

"Sure. Lead the way." I say as I begin to stand up. The others get up from their seats as well. Lilly takes out her metal cane and takes the lead, tapping the ground in front of her as she continues. I let Hisao walk in front of me, so I end up taking the rear. Hisao tries his best to match up with Lilly's movements, but I just follow a straight line behind them, keeping my hands in my pockets.

* * *

We meet the front door of what I'm guessing is the library, from what Lilly says. Hisao opens the door and steps to the side, allowing us to go in.

"Ladies first." He says as he beckons us into the room. Lilly gives an appreciative smile at the gesture and takes the lead. As for me, I'm not really offended by it, but I may as well make a joke out of it.

"I heard what you said." I say in a deep voice as I walk past him and into the room. It's certainly something like I expected.

To the left is an empty wooden library counter, and to the right is the actual library of books. Odd, why isn't the librarian there? Are they out running an errand or something. Regardless, the atmosphere of this place is fantastic; the lovely smell of wood and old-book smell fits really well in this place. It certainly beats my old school's library, in terms of tradition.

"Yuuko, are you here?" Lilly calls out to the librarian. Sadly, this librarian isn't in here, and Lilly obviously has no way of knowing. Should the librarian really leave this place unat-

**THUD**

The sound of something banging into wood is coming from the counter, which is followed by a soft yelp.

"Awwww." A female voice softly hums in pain behind the counter. That didn't sound too well. Suddenly, a woman with long red hair and glasses pops up from under the counter. Apparently, she's not only the voice from earlier but also possibly the librarian.

"Hi, Lilly. How can I help you?" The librarian, 'Yuuko' apparently, frantically says, trying her best to sound poise, when it's ultimately futile. Not to mention, she's rubbing the back of her head—probably what she banged the desk with—and she's sweating profusely.

"Good afternoon. What just happened now? I heard a strange sound." Lilly calmly asks, although her face is making her look like she's trying her best not to laugh.

"It's nothing, I just hit my head." Yuuko says, looking rather scared. Why is she so scared? It's not like Lilly's the principal here or anything. "See, I dropped an eraser under my desk and while I was looking for it a pencil dropped and when I was looking for both of them you came and surprised me."

Despite the faux pas—fuck it, I'm not even going to point them out anymore—she's a rather clumsy woman. I actually never heard, nor seen a person do that before in my life. Japan is such an interesting place...

"Are you all right? I'm sorry, I couldn't know-" Just in the middle of Lilly's apology, Yuuko suddenly interrupts her.

"It's okay! It's okay, I'm sorry for making you worry." She says, sweating profusely and blushing in embarrassment like before. Geez, inside voices, I mean we are in a library. Also, why is she so flustered? What is going on? "This is nothing, I've had worse happen to me." Now she's acting all composed? What the hell? Also, I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing... "Yes... worse things have happened, hehehe..." She mutters.

Upon closer inspection, I can see some spots of freckles under her jade-green eyes. Looking at her whole body, she's a little shorter than me and Lilly. Near her chest I can see her play with her fingers before unnecessarily shuffling some papers on the counter, which actually now look messier after she did it. Lilly still seems rather worried, and Hisao is just observing them with a surprised expression.

"Ah, Lilly! Did you get the message?" Yuuko asks. Lilly opens her eyes and her lips falter down as if she's in thought. It's weird seeing her eyes open like that, it's just a little unnerving, but still pretty cool. It's an odd feeling, that's all.

"Message... hmm..." Lilly mutters to herself, trying to remember something. Well, it's certainly none of my business. Lilly's eyes then open wider and now she has a smile on her face. I guess she remembered. "Oh, the two imported books that arrived?"

"Right! Right! They finally came! I can't believe it took so long, but-" Yuuko stops herself once her eyes finally come into contact of me and Hisao's presence. I'm surprised she went this long without noticing, and she isn't even blind. Her eyes then widen and I can see beads of sweat already forming on her forehead. Oh boy...

"Oh no, I'm sorry for not noticing you two before!" Yuuko hastily panics. "Did either of you need to check out a book? Or return one? I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" I don't know why, but watching her freak out is kind of amusing. Am I a messed up person for thinking that? I look over to Lilly, who's expression of concern in plastered back on her face. By the looks of it, it seems like she has to deal with this rather often.

"They're with me. Yuuko, this is Hisao and Tai, they're new students." Lilly explains to the timid librarian, gesturing at us individually when she states our names. I'm surprised that she can be able to determine where we're at, even though we haven't spoken yet. Oh right, it's because of her super-hearing powers... "Hisao, Tai, this is Yuuko, the school librarian."

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Yuuko." I formally say as I place my hat to my chest and take a slight bow. I figure it's appropriate to be this formal in front of a woman, especially since she's one of our faculty members.

"Pleased to meet you." Hisao follows, also taking a formal bow. Luckily, Misaki's not here to laugh at me, so it's not as embarrassing. It's a formality in this country, right? I can only assume so, from what I've seen and read. I know it's a stereotype, but it doesn't make it wrong, in a sense.

"Hisao. Tai. Right. Hisao. Tai." Yuuko mutters to herself as she looks at us individually when she states our names, trying to implant the names into her mind so she doesn't mix the two up. Makes sense, but it seems rather odd of you to do aloud. "Pleasure to meet you both, Tai, and Hisao." She says, giving a slight bow to each of us as she states our names. Good thing she didn't mess up our names, unlike most of my distant family members do with me and my brother.

"Yuuko often arranges to import foreign books in Braille for me." Lilly says, explaining the earlier situation. Makes sense, kind of like how Naomi prints out the school newspaper in Braille for her and her class.

"You mean like how Naomi prints out the school newspaper in Braille for you?" I ask Lilly. I know it's a pointless question, but I don't want to seem _too_ quiet here. In fact, it's a lot more livelier here than in any other library I've been to.

"Yes, something like that." Lilly nods in affirmation. She then turns to Yuuko. "Would you like to tell Hisao and Tai a little something about the library?" She requests. Seems harmless enough, but nope, not to this easily frightened librarian.

"I... Please Lilly, I can't. I don't know what they could be interested in; they're two completely different people. This is too much responsibility." The terrified librarian objects. Well, thankfully for me, I know what Hisao's interests are, so it'd be rather easy to find if I search for it. But seeing her writhe in fear is a little hard too bear, so I shouldn't try to press the issue.

"But..." Lilly's face is no longer containing a smile, but is now replaced with her open eyes and a serious expression. Considering her stubbornness, she probably won't let this drop, so we need to change the subject before a catastrophe happens.

"So, there are a lot of books in Braille here?" Hisao quickly diffuses the situation. I get Hisao had the same thought as me to have said that. Good, great minds think alike. Luckily for us, Yuuko seems to have composed herself, although she may breakdown if the wind switched directions.

"Well... I think about a third or fourth of Yamaku's library is either in Braille or audio." Yuuko answers. Seems reasonable, considering that there's bound to be many blind and visually impaired students in this school. But if that's true, why isn't this library smaller? Maybe I should say it aloud.

"Really now? If that's true, why's the library so big?" I ask Yuuko, actually rather interested. There's not much to really ask about, so it'd be best to keep this train of dialogue moving until we find another suitable conversation. Not to mention, I would like to know what this place has in store, in terms of literature. Because frankly, I can't read Braille.

"Ummm, well, we get a lot of new books regularly because the library is adequately endowed. That's probably why." Yuuko explains. I guess that makes sense, it wouldn't be very good if the school was poor and on budget-cuts. But I wouldn't know because this school is already seemingly more refurbished than my old one.

"They spend more on new books than on my salary, and then I have to organize and shelve all of them." Yuuko rambles, looking rather stressed. Oh boy, she's gonna have a panic attack. I would change the subject, but she keeps talking. "It's so troublesome and they weigh so much, I wish I could quit this job." She finishes with a deep and exhausted sigh.

… That's a rather dismal thought... I guess that train of dialogue just straight up leaped off the tracks and crashed...

An awkward silence keeps the air stagnant, making it a little hard for me to breathe. A little too much information there, don't you think? I look over to Hisao, funny how he also looks over to me, who seems to also be rather perturbed by this conversation. What the hell can I say to retort, or possibly even continue, with? This woman is certainly not the life of the party...

"Umm, I'll go check the aisles then, if you don't mind." Hisao says, dismissing himself from our group to go check out the books, although he doesn't leave yet. What the hell?! Where do you think you're going?! You can't just leave me here!

"Very well. Meanwhile, Yuuko, I would have those books if it's all right with you." Lilly replies, picking up from one of the other conversations. I look over to Hi- wait, where did he go?! He was just here a second ago! You've got to be kidding me...

"Ah, of course. Let me go get them." Yuuko says, her smile returning to her face. She goes under the counter to search for the reserved books, while Lilly waits patiently. It seems rather rude for me to just up and leave, and I'm not sure what to look for in this library, so I just decide to stick by Lilly's side. I guess she seems to have still been aware of my presence as she turns to me with an expression of wonder.

"Oh, Tai, you're not going to search for a book?" Lilly asks me. I guess nothing goes over her head, does it?

"Oh, uh, I guess I'm not really in the mood. I kind of just wanted to come here out of curiosity, plus the AC in here is refreshing compared to the heat." I truthfully answer while rubbing the back of my neck and smiling awkwardly in embarrassment. Lilly nods empathetically.

"Yes, it has been getting rather hot lately. Do you have a hard time adjusting with this school?" Lilly questions further.

"Oh, no this school's great. The lessons are rather simple and the entire layout of the school isn't a complete maze... more or less. Not to mention that the students here have been treating me with sincere kindness." As vague as that was, the last sentence was mainly aimed at Lilly. I guess Lilly picked up on this since she chuckles in response.

"Ahh! Where'd they go?!" A loud shriek comes from underneath the counter, accompanied by the sounds of someone frantically moving items around. I try to take a peek over the counter, but can only see the top of Yuuko's head. Apparently, she's searching each drawer in the counter, looking for the books, I presume.

"What's wrong?" I ask, watching her like a pair of eyes in the sky.

"What seems to be the problem, Yuuko?" Lilly says, her facial expression now serious. The quirky librarian keeps searching through each drawer as she apprehensively replies.

"I can't find the books! I swear I put them in the drawers after sorting out the bookshelves! They can't be missing!" She says, her breaths drawn to heavy and short pants of panic. She then quickly stands up, but forgets to move her head a little bit back, so she ends up smashing her head under the table again. I cringe.

"Awwww..." She groans as she covers the top of her head with her hands, in pain. Oof, even I felt that. Worried about her physical condition, I rush to the entryway of the counter to get next to her.

"Can you stand? You're not bleeding at all, are you?" I say as I kneel down and take her arm, placing it over my shoulder, and then grabbing her by the side to help her up, making sure to avoid the counter above. Twice in a day? Can people be that ditzy? It's the first time I've ever seen it...

"Yeah, I think I can stand, and I don't think I'm bleeding." Yuuko weakly says as I slowly lift her up. Once we fully stand up, although I'm sort of bending down to match her height, she seems to be hunched over in either shame or pain. I decide to wait until she has enough strength to pull away from me and stand on her own.

"Yuuko, are you all right? What happened?" Lilly asks, concern and worry shown all over her face. I assume that Yuuko's a little overwhelmed to speak, so I decided to do it for her.

"Yeah, she's fine; she just hit her head, that's all." I plainly say. No point not being blunt about it. Lilly nods and shows a brief moment of relief, but her worry is still exhibited across her face. After some time, Yuuko pulls away from me, so I decide to join back with Lilly in front of the counter.

"Thank you very much, Tai." Yuuko says with a smile while adjusting her glasses back in its proper position. Well, it's not like I was going to stare and watch her writhe in pain. I'd be an idiot to do that.

"No problem. It's the least I can do." I say. It really was. I'm no doctor or anything, but I can provide at least some first aid. Better to know beforehand before someone dies in your hands. "So what was that earlier? You said that you lost something?" I can pretty much guess what the answer is. Yuuko frowns in disappointment.

"Ah, yes, well... uh, I seemed to have misplaced the books. I'm so very sorry, Lilly." Yuuko sincerely apologizes, even bowing roughly multiple times. I don't think Lilly seems to mind it so bad, since she gives Yuuko what I can guess is a pity smile.

"Oh no, that's okay, Yuuko. Besides, I wasn't expecting those books to come in until next week." Lilly says, trying to appease Yuuko, probably so she won't start panicking. It's a smart idea, but the reaction it caused may have been opposite.

"But-" Yuuko is about to have another one of those panic rambles, so I decide to interrupt her before this erupts into chaos.

"Wait, earlier you said that you had them while you were organizing the bookshelves right?" I ask. Being able to pull up something someone has said earlier is one of my specialties. That, and chugging down a bottle of wine under 10 minutes.

"Yes, I did." Yuuko says, completely unaware of where I'm going with this line of questioning. That's fine, as long as I get the answers I need. Geez, it's kind of like a mystery novel.

"So that means that the books are most likely still in this room. Did you happen to have accidentally organized them along with the other books in the bookshelves?" If my hunch is correct, then she must have organized them in the Braille section of the library. It only makes sense.

"I... I suppose I may have." Yuuko tentatively says, waiting to know what the purpose of these questions is.

"Then if what you're saying is true, that means that the books might be on the bookshelves in the Braille section of the library." I finally deduce. Sherlock Holmes up in this bitch. Except that it was practically elementary.

"Ah, I see what you're saying." Yuuko says, finally perking up. I guess me showing her that she still has a chance to redeem her mistake has pleased her. "I'll go check right now." She says, eager to get the books. Hell, since I'm just so suave with the ladies today, why not just do everything for them?

"Nah, I'll check it out. You just stay here and give Lilly some company. You shouldn't keep her too bored." I say, as I look over to Lilly, who seems rather appreciative of my acknowledgment of her. Actually, I wanted to say, 'You don't her straying too far,' but that doesn't get you anywhere with a blind girl. Plus, I think that hit on her head may have done a number on her equilibrium, so she should just stay put and rest. "Which way's the Braille section of the library? And what books am I looking for?"

Yuuko gives me the location of the books and the titles I should be scouting for. Although rather dejected, Yuuko still complies with my order of staying with Lilly. It's probably for the best anyway, since she could end up destroying the whole library.

* * *

I suppose this is it; I mean, it's got the whole bumps and stuff on the spine of the books. It's rather close to the entrance too. Smart. It wouldn't make much sense to put it near the back anyways, unless you want to hear the constant sound of a metal cane banging into bookshelves.

Thankfully, there's a little tag on the bottom of the spine of the book to tell me the title of it. Good, 'cause I can't read Braille. I'm not very diverse when it comes to languages. Sure I know Japanese and English, but that's about it. Maybe a little sign language, but that was just for a few weeks.

Looking at the tags on the bottom of each book, I can see that these don't match up at all. In fact, it seems rather unorganized from what it should be. Did Yuuko really sort these out? Unless some blind students actually came by and accidentally messed up the shelves. I mean, they are blind after all.

With a sigh, I decide to organize it. How are you suppose to organize it? I swear, I've only done community service in a library like once. I suppose it only makes sense to organize them by numerical order with accordance to their numbers on the tag.

… Damn, I hope I'm doing this right...

… I'm not sure how Yuuko does it, but I'm just gonna assume it's like this too...

… I guess I can't really blame a blind student for putting a #460 book next to a #500...

… There, it's finished! In a matter of minutes too. Luckily, I found one of the books thanks to the organizing. Plus, it was rather entertaining too. Now, time to find the next book.

… So we meet again, messy, unorganized bookshelf. Bring it on!

… Huh, I didn't know they translated _that_ into Braille...

… It's done! Also, I found the next book! It didn't even take as long as the first time! Sweet, shouldn't keep Lilly waiting any longer. Wait a minute, what's that? Is that... another unorganized bookshelf?

… Yep, yep it is. No, I should really turn this into Lilly before anything. But... it's so unorganized... Ugh, my OCD is kicking in; I have to organize it!

… Man, these books are dusty. Why are books so dusty being kept unorganized...

… 'Kama Sut-'... Why is this book even in here, and in Braille? How is a blind person supposed to read this? Aren't there visuals that come with it? My curiosity peaked, I open to a random page.

… Just a bunch of dots... I'm gonna pretend I never saw this. Just I place the erotic book into it's supposed location, another book I had just placed falls right off the shelf. Dammit, just when I almost had it...

I go to pick up the book. For some reason, my eyes look up and I notice a girl a few meters away. She seems to be sitting on a beanbag and reading a Braille book—since she's touching the page, and her eyes are closed—just minding her own business. I notice that there are a few stacks of books, which I am also guessing are Braille, next to her. So that's where the missing books went!

A heavy reader, I guess. How long has she been there? The whole time? Why haven't I noticed her until now? Her short, crimson hair reminds me of the color of blood. It's certainly not real. At least, I don't think so. The gold clips in her hair blinds me with sunlight. Dammit, will this ever end?!

I can see her moving her lips, but whatever she's saying can't reach my ears. Maybe she's just mouthing the words engraved in Braille, to understand it better. I guess it makes sense, a lot of people I know prefer to read aloud than in their heads. Albeit helpful, it's still annoying. Especially if they can't read well.

Should I approach her? She seems clueless of my appearance, considering how much noise I had been making. Well, it's not like she could see me if she knew I was here anyways. Gah, why am I even thinking about this?! I should just leave her be; I don't even know her. And it would be rather creepy of me to just greet every girl I see walking down the street.

With a sigh, I just continue to organize the shelf. Hopefully, it'll be my last.

* * *

… Okay, well fuck me; I just organized all of the Braille bookshelves near the entrance. I literally had to slap myself from trying to organize another. Man, when I get into cleaning, I just go all-out—or in my case, all-in.

It took quite a bit, maybe ten minutes, but hopefully Lilly won't be upset at me from taking too long. Grabbing the two books that Lilly needs, I head back to the counter. As I approach closer, the two of them seem to be chatting away, as if they weren't even thinking about where I was with the books.

"I'm sorry I took so long, but I found your books." I say, placing the books down on the counter loud enough for Lilly to know where they are.

"Ah, thank you very much, Tai." Lilly gratefully says with a smile. Ah, it's always nice to be thanked.

"It wasn't too much trouble for you, was it? You were gone for about twenty minutes." Yuuko says with a guilty look. I guess I can tell why she feels that way; I always feel useless when someone decides to do something for me. Also, I guess I did take awhile organizing those books... But what matters is that I did it correctly!

"Ah, yeah, about that..." I start to scratch the back of my head in embarrassment. I got caught. "I couldn't help but reorganize the Braille books. I know you worked hard on it, but I just couldn't stop myself." I thought Yuuko's reaction would be one of thanks and gratitude, but it was completely different from what I thought.

"Ah, no, I actually didn't get to organize those since this morning! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I was busy sorting out all the other books and I got exhausted from all the work! I completely forgot about organizing the Braille books! I'm sorry that you had to do that!" Yuuko is panicking like never before. It's actually quite scary. I need to find a way of calming her down, but how?! … Ah, I know.

"No, really, Yuuko it was no trouble at all." I say, trying to sound as calm and composed as possible. "Actually, before I came to Japan I had done some work at a local library. They taught me how to reorganize shelves, check-out books, and keep a list of all the books in stock. So I knew how to organize, so it wasn't much trouble. In fact, the way it was set up was perfect already, I just wanted to touch it up a bit, if that was okay."

Most of what I said was a lie, but I feel like I would have to lie in this situation to completely diffuse it. If not, it was just gonna blow up in everybody's face and ruin everyone's day.

"Oh, I... didn't know that. Thank you." Yuuko says. Although she still seems rather nervous, she most definitely calmed down. Thank god, I thought she would have freaked out even more. Luckily, it worked towards my favor.

"That was very kind of you, Tai. Are you always this charitable to everyone you first meet?" Lilly asks, truly appreciative of my kind efforts. 'Well, when they're girls, then yeah,' is what the right side of my brain is saying. In truth, I guess it's kind of hard to explain why I did these things. Maybe I just do it for my own pride or personal gain. I don't know.

"I guess you could say that. When people are in trouble, you have to help them, right? It just wouldn't be right if no one did." I say. I guess you could say that's true for me. I was brought up to be a nice person, so I try my best to be one. But I guess some people would call me a pushover.

Just then, I hear the sound of someone running past me, with the gust of wind following afterwords. When I look behind me, all I see is a blur of black run out the entrance, the door still slightly open. What the hell was that?

"...he is nice." Yuuko says. I was too distracted by the thing running behind me that I didn't notice Yuuko was talking. I turn back around and see that Yuuko has her eyes closed and is blushing slightly. Lilly is still wearing that same smile she has. It seems they—or at least Yuuko—didn't see that thing past by. Am I the only one that noticed, or am I going crazy?

As I turn my head to the right, I see Hisao walking towards us, looking like he's trying to find something. That's odd, he's coming up empty-handed. Didn't he say he was looking for a book?

"Hey, did you see... er... notice a girl run past here?" Hisao says, stopping himself after he made a faux pas. Wait, a girl? That was a girl that ran behind me? It just seemed like that black entity from LOST. Yuuko notices Hisao and answers him.

"Um, maybe... what did she look like?" She asks before I could say anything. I would answer, but the only thing I know is that she has something black on her. It's probably her hair, 'cause it was definitely not skin color... What? That's not racist.

"Long, dark hair. Kinda shy. She had... well... some scars... on her... face." Hisao awkwardly says. What, what's wrong with scars? I think scars are pretty cool. That is, as long as there isn't a lot of them. Then it gets kind of freaky.

"You wouldn't be talking about Hanako, would you?" Lilly asks, her eyes open in surprise. Oh, so that was Hanako? Wait a minute... Scars, black hair, kinda shy, she knows about me... She's that chick that ditched class yesterday! Huh, who would've guessed...

"Yeah, that's her. I saw her reading and tried to talk to her, but I think I scared her off or something." Hisao explains. Dammit Hisao, don't you know that's like number forty-seven of what not to do when trying to pick up girls; don't talk to a girl if she's reading at a library. Plus, she's apparently shy, so you should have been with Lilly when you were talking with her. But I'll give you credit for trying though.

"Oh dear. Yuuko, Tai, would you excuse me, I had better try to find her." Lilly says, with a worried look on her face. Oh boy, what did you do, Hisao? Wait a minute, if she's going to rush off now, what about the books?

"Wait, what about the books?" I quickly ask. There's no way in hell I'm putting them back when I just took twenty minutes to find them. Well, it was mostly my fault for taking twenty minutes, but still!

"Ah, I'm deeply sorry for taking up your time with finding the books, Tai, but I'm afraid I must search for Hanako. Until then, can you please hold onto the books for me, Yuuko?" Lilly apologizes, still looking concerned. Great, so I searched for those books for nothing, then? I shouldn't have spent so much time reorganizing everything. But, if this is important enough for her to have Yuuko hold onto the books, I suppose I can understand.

"S-sure. I'll just hold onto them until you come back." Yuuko complies, rather surprised by this turn of events. To be honest, I'm rather surprised myself.

"Um, what's going on?" Hisao asks, rather confused. I should be asking that!

"I'm sorry, but I'll have to explain it to you some other time." Lilly says, seeming ready to just burst out the door to search for this 'Hanako'.

"Right. I'll see you later then..." Hisao says, still looking perturbed. Lilly quickly grabs her walking stick and rushes out of the library, leaving the three of us in a confused state. What just happened?

"Man, this place sure is eventful." I say as I turn my head from the door to the remaining members of the group. Well, I'm not wrong; Hisao's probably thinking the same thing.

"I don't think I'll ever get the hang of this place." Hisao sighs, shaking his head.

"Me neither, dude." I empathetically chuckle. I swear, this place could wear anybody out.

"Did I do something wrong?" Hisao asks the both of us.

"What did you do?" I ask, lifting an eyebrow in curiosity. I look over to Yuuko, who seems to be smiling. What the hell could Hisao have done to send a girl running out of a library? The thought intrigues me...

"Nothing! I was just looking for some books and then she got this fit and ran off." Hisao protests with both of his hands up defensively, "The most offending thing I can think of was that I might've looked at her general direction a few times." I chuckle at his statement. Yeah, I know how that is; she didn't even look at me when I walk past her.

"Well, she is a very timid girl." Yuuko says, with a worried look on her face. Wasn't that pretty obvious already? "You have to be very careful around her. She can be very jumpy, I think, and she's not accustomed to talking with other people." Well, she's more likely to know her better than us, I suppose, so I should take her word for it.

"Isn't that a bit... strange?" Hisao asks, seemingly confused. Well, Hisao, people are strange to begin with. And since we're in a school full of disabled kids, people look strange too. It sounds crude, I know, but I'm just saying.

"I wonder... It's just how she is, I think." Yuuko says, unsure of herself. Well, you can't blame this 'Hanako' for acting the way she is; maybe she's acting that way for a reason. People just don't act weird because they feel like it.

"But how should I deal with these people? Forcing myself to act overly casually makes me feel phony." Hisao says, asking for advice.

"What do you mean?" I ask. I mean, he hasn't just been acting this whole time, has he? He seemed like he wasn't overly casual when we were searching for the library... Or was he? I can't really tell, especially if the first impression he gives is what I think he's like all the time. I mentally sigh.

"It's like I was supposed to be ignoring the elephant in the room." Hisao says. I guess it's sort of like that. But sometimes, that's kind of what you have to do; you can't just outright state it and think that things will be fine and dandy. Don't you think that the people here feel odd because of their condition and think that everybody's staring at them, like their the elephant? That's probably why that chick ran away, because she felt like an elephant... Okay, that's not what I meant, but you get the picture.

"I think it's an elephant only if you feel that way." Yuuko says. I... I couldn't put it any better myself. Knowing this, I give her an impressed smile. I look over to Hisao, who seems to be smiling as well. Yuuko notices this and her face immediately turns red.

"W... what? Did that sound stupid?" She says, panicking from embarrassment. Now that I look at it, it's rather cute. Sure she's probably much older than me, but she has the personality of a quirky high school girl. Well, not the girls from my high school, at least.

"No no, it's sounded really wise. I guess you're right. It's more about me than anyone else." Hisao says, complimenting Yuuko. I should've assumed someone so idiosyncratic would say something astute.

No one adds anything, and I don't feel like saying anything either, so we're practically stuck in silence. Yuuko decides it's best to fill the void of sound with the shuffling of papers. It's kind of like the nurse and his shuffling after every question. I think they just do it as a sort of bridge to the next discussion. If so, it seems rather awkward and forced.

"Did you find any books? I should be closing soon. I mean this library should be closing. But I have to do it. I hope that's not too inconvenient for you." Yuuko says, directing it to Hisao. I guess I should really just wait until tomorrow or something. Finding a book now would make me end up wasting Yuuko's time.

"Oh. Yeah, I want some books, but I left them over there because..." Hisao says, slowly lowering his voice. "... I'll just go get them." Hisao goes to the right side of the library to retrieve his books. I place and lean my back on the counter. I decide to use this time to check my watch. I pull it out and read the hands of the clock.

… 6:16...

I should probably be heading out soon. Wait a minute, I still don't know where this place is. Sure, Natsume gave me directions, but I feel like I'm going to end up being in the library scavenger hunt predicament again. I sigh and put the watch back in my pocket.

Another thing I realize is that I don't even have my wallet. Fuck, I should have brought it with me. Pinching the bridge of my nose in stupidity, I decide that I should head to my dorm to retrieve it. I should a few bills of yen. Thankfully, Isaac gave me quite a bit to use on food and such, but I'm gonna end up running out soon. ...I need a job...

I can feel Yuuko's stare from behind me, but Hisao approaches with an armful of books before she could possibly ask me anything.

"Wow. You read a lot, don't you?" Yuuko says, giving Hisao a kind smile. Damn, Hisao, that'll last you like, a whole month. Well, it would last me a whole month, at least.

"I surprise myself with that too, honestly. At least, when I really think about it." Hisao says, giving a nervous chuckle as he places the books on the counter.

"Well you sure as hell surprised me. How do you have the time for all that?" I chuckle as I lift myself off from the counter. If I can recall, I had about a year of rehabilitation and physical therapy for my pancreas, but most of what I did was sleep, eat, drink, piss, and do archery. I once never thought about reading. Weird, ain't it?

"I had a lot of free time this year, so I just kind of... started reading books to fill that time. I couldn't do much else." Hisao explains. I guess it makes sense. The nurses at my hospital didn't have much to offer in the literature department. Maybe I looked at a book once or twice, but a lot of what they had were magazines and gossip and such. Was never interested in that kind of stuff.

"I see." Yuuko says with a nod. And with that, the conversation ends and Yuuko scans the books. Afterwords, Hisao takes them in his arms and bows his head in gratitude.

"Thank you, Yuuko." He says. Yuuko smiles happily, a little tinge of red on her face, but she only responds with a slight nod. Hisao then turns to me and slightly bows also. "I'll see you in class tomorrow then, Tai." Good thing he catches on, at least.

"All right. Until then, Hisao." I say, tipping my fedora in respect. He's the kind of guy I can understand, therefore respect. Plus, I feel like I might make him drop his books if I tried to shake his hand.

With that, Hisao leaves the library. Ah shit, I should have asked him if he knew where the Shanghai is. Then again, he is a new student like me, so how the hell would he? Sighing and pinching my nose again, Yuuko actually decides to speak to me.

"Um, are you going to get a book?" She asks, still maintaining her friendly smile. You know, when you ask like that, I sort of feel obliged to get one. But it would just be a waste of time to try.

"Nah, you're closing up anyways, so I shouldn't use up anymore of your time." I say. I look over to the Braille section of the library. I wonder if the red-haired chick is still there. I didn't hear or see her leave, so she's probably still here. I should probably tell Yuuko about it.

"Hey, uh, I think there's still one more person in here. A blind girl with red hair and a hair clip?" I tell her.

"A blind girl with red hair..." Yuuko ponders for a bit. That girl's like a sore thumb in this school; the red hair gives it away. Maybe Lilly knows her, since she's blind. "Oh, you mean Trinity? I believe I saw her leave after Lilly." Really? But I didn't hear the sound of metal tapping. It probably just blended in with Lilly's.

"Oh, okay." Is all I can say. Actually, she works at this place, so she might know a bit about this little town down the hill. Maybe she even lives there. If she does, then she'll probably know about the Shanghai too. It may be a long shot, but it's the only chance I have to get clear directions.

"Um, hey, Yuuko..." I start off. She looks at me with an expression that is between curious and confused. "Do you know about this place called the 'Shanghai'?"

"Oh, you mean the tea house in town? I actually work there part-time when I'm not being the librarian of the school." Yuuko says with a smile on her face. Oh really? What luck! Now I have reliable directions to the Shanghai. Yuuko's face is suddenly then covered with a nervous frown. "Actually, I have to work there tonight. Late night is always the worst shift; they have me do many orders and clean most of the dishes! Most of the workers would be out during the night, so I have the graveyard shift almost every time! I usually don't get very much sleep, so I'm always drinking coffee."

Although that's more information than I needed, it's still pretty good on my account; if she has work today, maybe I can have her escort me. It might be for the best, since I'll also get a reliable route to get there, and I can also have a good tour of the town. It's just too good to pass up.

"Well, I hope it's not much of a bother for you, but can you please escort me there? I don't know much of the layout of the town, let alone the Shanghai, so I think it would be best if you could walk me to where it is." I request, not trying to sound too pushy. Hopefully, that approach won't make her panic.

"Ah, escort you?! I mean, that's but... I mean... that's just too much of a responsibility!" Yuuko's panicking again... Um, what to say...

"I'm sorry, if it's too much of a responsibility I won't make you do it." I quickly say. There's no way I can calm her down unless I want to seem like some kind of jerk. This is the politest approach I can think of. Completely beyond what I expected, it gives off a different reaction.

"Ah, no, it's fine... I can... escort you." She says, slowly getting softer. I think I could even see her getting redder. Crap, I'm blushing, aren't I?! I look away quickly and scratch the back of my neck. That was way too cute and quirky. But, on the plus side, she said she'll escort me so let's not waste this opportunity in this community.

"Uh... Thank you very much, Yuuko." I say, still looking away. I look back and we make eye contact. I look down again. God, I'm so bad at this. Hell, she's even older than me and we're doing this. This is something that you would do in the early stages of middle school and/or high school. "Then, let's get going, shall we?"

After I say that, I wait by the entrance for Yuuko to finish up whatever she has to. She doesn't look at me while she does it, but when she does, she only moves her eyes at me for a split-second. I guess I can't complain, I can barely look at her. A few minutes later, she comes up to me and is ready to go.

When she heads out the door, I take a look back to the Braille section. Certainly enough, no one's there; just a stack of books and perfectly untouched bean bag.

It makes me wonder if she was actually there.

* * *

We make it to the front of the boy's dorm. I told Yuuko about how I need to get my wallet, so she—although tentatively—followed me to the dorm. But other than that, the whole time we didn't say a word.

She stops as soon as we meet the doors.

"Huh, you're not gonna come in?" I ask, pointing my head at the doors.

"Well, it's the boy's dorm, and I'm a woman, so..." She sheepishly says, her head slightly down. Ah, I see. It makes sense, but I'm not sure about letting her stay out here though. Then again, letting in would be rather risky as well... Fuck it, I'm going all-in!

"That's fine, we're only gonna be there for just a bit; I just have to get my wallet anyways. Besides, you're probably thirsty from working hard all day, I bet you'd want something to drink right now, right?" I persuasively say, coaxing her to step inside. This isn't even a romantic rendezvous, so I don't know why I'm pressuring her to come to my room.

"That's..." Yuuko softly says, stopping herself, as if contemplating the consequences of her choices. I can see her bite her lip and play with her fingers. She must be nervous to all hell. "All right... I'll come in." She submissively says, stepping up behind me. Score! Wait, I'm not trying to score with her, so why am I so pumped?

Luckily, no one seems to be around the halls or the lobby as we enter. As we climb up the stairs, I can feel my heart pounding. Fuuuuck, it feels like I'm having heart palpitations! My ears are kind of ringing and my hands are shaking. They even feel clammy.

Once I reach the door, I do my ritual then open the door. I let Yuuko in first, like the gentlemen I am, and follow in se-

"*Whistle* I didn't know ya' had it in ya'. I guess you don't masturbate." Says an all too familiar voice behind me. Once I heard the whistle, I quickly slammed my door shut and turned around, placing my back on the door.

"Hey, Hanato, what's up?" I calmly try to say, but it seems my vocal patterns don't agree with me. Why does _he _have to be here at a time like this?!

"Heard you do your little ritual, so I knew it was you." Hanato states. Crap, who would have known that it would bite me in the butt like this?! I can feel beads of sweat go down my head, but I try not to avert my gaze from him.

"Tai? Are you all right?" I can hear Yuuko's voice from behind the door.

"Oh, so you're name's Tai?" And so can Hanato, apparently.

"Yeah. What is it?" I ask, trying to hurry this along. The faster this is done with, the faster I can leave without anything tangibly worse happening.

"Oh, nothing. I was gonna' continue off from yesterday, but I see you're gonna' be pretty busy tonight." Hanato says with a smirk on his face. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone on you. In fact, I think I respect you a little better now."

"Uh, thanks?" Is all I can really say. This guy truly is a puzzle. He gives me a nod and a smirk in response.

"Don't mention it. I know how it is." He then gets off of his door frame. "Well, I won't bother you for tonight. Good luck, and use protection." He gives me a thumbs up before closing the door. Now that... that was the most awkwardest encounter, by far.

Wanting to just jump out of my window so I could leave, I open the door and quickly enter my room. Shutting and locking it behind me, I take a deep exhale of relief.

"Tai?" I then notice the rather terrified-looking librarian in front of me. I don't want to explain that whole situation back there, it'll just make things awkward.

"Don't worry, I don't plan to spend too long in here. It's just to keep others from knowing, you know?" I say, explaining why I locked the door. Yuuko just seems to give slight nod, but she's still frightened. Maybe a cold drink will calm her down.

"Let me get you a drink." I say, getting off from the door to walk to the mini-fridge. I open it—making sure that Yuuko doesn't see the wine—and grab the nearest juice-box.

"I hope you like apple." I say as I take the straw on the side and poke it through the designated hole. I then give to Yuuko, who slowly grabs it and starts drinking it. "Please, sit." I say, pointing my hand to my bed. I don't bother to see her sit as I go to find my wallet.

If my memory is in the right place, it should be in my luggage. Why didn't I take it out in the first place?

… In fact, there's still quite a bit of accessories that I didn't bother to unpack. I should go through them tonight.

… Ah, there it is. The brown leather of it sticking out in the black interior of the luggage makes it easy to spot. I grab it and open it to search its contents.

… When I open it, there first thing I see is... _her... _I hang my head down and give out a heavy, tired sigh. I forgot my brother put this in here when he gave me a new wallet... Why the hell did he do that...

"Tai, is something wrong?" I can hear Yuuko's concerned voice behind me. There's no point of explaining it to her, no point of her knowing. No point in anyone knowing.

I grab the picture from it's clear pocket and put it in my pocket. I'm throwing it away later. Can't burn it unless I want to cause a scene.

"It's nothing. I got my wallet." I bluntly say, half-lying. It's all in the past. I should just throw it away, like with all old cards. Just keep shuffling the deck, Tai. "Let's go."

I just go immediately to the door, not looking at Yuuko. Right now, I'm too pissed off to like at anyone. I open it and let Yuuko go first, and then I follow second. There's still no one in the halls, so it's an easy walk out.

* * *

The first few minutes out the school is filled with complete silence, the only noises audible are the birds chirping and the sounds of our footsteps. I don't feel like talking, not until I've calmed down. Thankfully, Yuuko seems to oblige by my silent request by just taking the lead and saying nothing else.

What is there to think about; I've practically had my fill with _her _enough already, there's no point in reopening wounds. I'll just end up hurting myself more. Being betrayed like that... I'm not sure if I could just commit to relationships that strongly anymore. I crossed the finish line only to receive a punch to the face and a kick to the balls. And not only that, I still have this condition that _she_ probably caused!

I guess Yuuko has trouble with keeping silent, because she decides to talk to me about school. Fortunately for her, I feel a little less pissed than before, so I can have a normal conversation with her.

As we continue down the hill and into the town, we both just talk about how I'm doing in school and if I'm getting along with the students. I truthfully answer her questions, by saying that the students, and even the faculty members, are treating me well, and that I'm trying my best to assimilate.

Of course, that first part was a shot at Yuuko, but I'm pretty sure it went over her head. Well, at least she's innocent, I guess.

Looking around, I spot a few apartments and the convenience store that Naomi and Natsume were talking about. Supposedly, by Natsume's directions, I should be nearing the Shanghai. Good, I could use a drink. Speaking of the drinks, Yuuko seems to have finished hers and thrown it in the trash. I guess she did like apple.

Since I was wondering about it earlier, I ask Yuuko if she lives in one of the apartments in the town. She answers no and says she actually lives in the city, close to a university. I ask if it's far, and all she states is that she has to take a train to get from there to here. From there to here? Everyday? That's crazy!

Since she stated that's she's close to a university, I decide to take a shot in the dark and ask if she attends it. My blind fire was actually correct, as she states that she attends the class during the day or night, whenever she doesn't have any work. Thinking about how mentally and physically exhausting that must be, I commend her for her perseverance. She blushes and just says she takes the jobs to pay off her college tuition. Wow, going to college must be tough. If I hadn't been in the hospital for two years, I would be in college right now working for a doctorate.

Our conversation continues...

* * *

We finally reach the high-regarded tea house. Well, I guess I'll just have to see it for myself. I wait outside the entrance so Yuuko can open up shop. While waiting, I decide to check my pocket watch.

… Almost 7:00. Where the hell are they? They should be finished with clubs, so why aren't they here waiting for me? Don't tell me they tried searching for me thirty minutes ago, gave up, and then went back to the dorm. If so, then I... probably would spend time here anyways.

I look back at the door and see that the sign on it says, 'Open,' so I decide to let myself in. Once I open it, the bell hanging on the door rings, as to alert any of the workers that there's a customer. Inside, there's a patient Yuuko waiting for me to enter.

"Welcome, sir!" She politely greets, taking a rather deep bow after. She's wearing different clothing from before, probably the waitress outfit of this place; she is now wearing a pink apron in front of her black shoulderless dress. Also, her hair is neatly tied up into 'ox horns' and is held together with silk brocades. It kind of reminds me of Chun Li. "May you please remove your shoes before entering."

Ah, I get it. It's Japanese culture to remove your shoes, so it's fine by me. I nod and comply with the timid waitress' request. After removing them, I place them on a rack which I can guess is meant for shoes. I turn back to Yuuko for further instructions.

"This way, please." She says, leading the way to my table, most likely. I follow her with no objection. Once I step on the wooden stairs to the elevated platform, I take a look at the interior of this place; it's very traditional indeed, a lot of wood and Shoji screens. Plus, it smells strongly of tea and coffee. I guess they serve coffee here too.

"Here you go, sir." Yuuko says, using her hand to point me to an empty table. She's treating me like a customer. I can't complain, because if she acted too lax and informal, it wouldn't help her job.

"Thank you." I say with a nod and take a seat. There's no open space under the table, so I'm forced to sit on my legs, which are supported by a cushion. I don't mind it, really, but it always makes me lose feeling in my legs. But it's Japanese tradition, so I should just honor it.

"May I take your order?" Yuuko asks, waiting forbearingly for me answer, with a pen and paper in her hands. Um, well, I can't order anything without a menu. One of those would be nice.

"Well, do you have a menu for me to look through?" I ask. If this place doesn't have a menu, then that wouldn't be very good. How is anyone supposed to order anything without knowing what they could get? But then again, this is a tea house, what else can you get?

"I'm so sorry! We don't really have any menus here! I'm so sorry!" Yuuko panics, rapidly pumping out apologetic bows that could break time and space. Holy crap, I didn't know people could over that fast... It's like a world record...

"Uh, d-don't be sorry! I guess I'll just have a hot cup of tea. Green tea is fine." I quickly say. Man, I am so not used to this. Hopefully, she gets better over time. **Grumble **Oh, that was my stomach growling. Guess I could go for a bite. "Oh, and a sandwich, if you have any. Preferably turkey." Yuuko quickly writes this all down on her little notepad, trying not to miss an order I request.

"Um, all right. I'll be back with your order soon." She says, still looking rather nervous. She quickly walks off to what I believe is the kitchen. While waiting, I decide to look at the time again.

… It's now passed 7:00. Where are they? Did they just decide to ditch on me? Huh, maybe going to the library wasn't such a good idea after all. Well, maybe it was; I got to meet Yuuko, got to know Hisao and Lilly better, and I found this little tranquil tea house. Everything's coming up, Tai.

I decide to scan the area around me while I'm waiting. Empty, except for me and Yuuko. At least, as far as I know. So far, I'm the only customer in this place; I didn't hear the bell go off at any other time. Guess it makes sense, since this place just opened. But as to when the customers will start pouring in is beyond me. Yuuko says she's mostly on the graveyard shift, so maybe they have a 'Happy Hour' system here or something. That reminds me, I don't even know how much this stuff is gonna cost... This is why I need a menu.

"Here's your order, sir-uwaah!" Yuuko's scream really catches my attention, as I immediately turn to her. For almost a second it was like slow motion. Nah, I'm just fucking with you, it happened in an instant.

Before I could react, the hot tea that Yuuko was holding falls off her hand and lands right onto my leg. When I did move, it was already too late. For a second, it felt like nothing, just numbness. Then, the pain kicked in.

"_Agh! F-_" I scream in English, clutching my thigh tightly. Luckily, I was able to cut myself off from cursing. Many years of having to keep from swearing in front of your parents does that. "_Son of a-_"God, the pain! It's like my leg is being dipped in lava!

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" I can barely hear the panicking Yuuko next to me. Fuck, I need to soak up the tea or else it's just gonna start streaming down.

"_Yuuko, get- _get a towel!" I yell, remembering to switch my language back to Japanese. Shit, it feels like my thigh is scalding. Fuck hot tea!

"R-r-right!" Yuuko stutters before quickly heading back to the kitchen. When I look at my hand, I can see it shaking frantically. Jesus, people were right about making sure not to spill hot drinks on yourself; it fucking melts off your skin! I can hear Yuuko rush back. Thank god. "H-here!"

I quickly grab the shaking towel by my face and press it up on my thigh. Thankfully, the towel is actually cold and damp; it's probably a dish towel. Whatever, it's better than nothing. After a few seconds, I'm finally able to get my bearings together.

"T-thank you." I say, still panting. Why should I be thanking her?! She spilled the fucking tea on my leg, I should be pissed off to all hell! I look over to the perpetrator, who is on her knees, practically bawling.

"I'm so sorry! I was bringing your tea, but accidentally tripped over my own feet and dropped it! I'm going to get fired for sure! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so horrible at being a waitress!"

… Ugh, how can I be mad at that? She was just trying to do her best, there's no real point in getting mad at her. In fact, getting mad at her would in a disaster more than anything.

"H-hey, it's all right Yuuko." I say as soothing as possible. It worked once before, hopefully it'll be just as easy this time. "It's just an accident, accidents happen. I can't exactly for making an innocent mistake."

"But, Tai, you're leg..." Yes, I know Yuuko; it hurts like hell.

"I'll be fine. I've felt worse." I try to say as reassuring as possible. Well, I've broken my arm before, but I'm not sure if a possible second-degree is worse. It feels just as bad though. "Besides, it blends rather well with the green pants."

"No! There must be something I can do! I'll do anything you ask!" Yuuko pleads, begging for forgiveness. Hmm... Anything? Although it wouldn't be right to ask her to do something for me, I don't think she'll allow me to say no. Plus, I would like her to repay me for what I've done.

"Huh... Well, you can bring me that turkey sandwich I ordered. No tea this time, I think I've had enough of it for today." I tell her. She nods frantically, accepting my order, and then dashes to the kitchen.

I sigh. Jeez, way too eventful today. I'm gonna end up going back to the hospital after the first week, and not because of my insulinoma. But on the plus side, I've met some interesting girls in the last two days. My luck will run out soon enough.

"I-I hope you enjoy it, sir." She nervously says, placing the plate of sandwiches in front of me. Whoa, there's not only one, but three sandwiches. Even though I'm expecting Naomi and Natsume to come around, don't mind if I stuff my face.

"Thank you." I gratefully say with a nod. I take the top sandwich, which is cut up into a cute, non-crusted triangle, and take a bite out of it. It's kinda dry, but then again all sandwiches are. Maybe I should have ordered water or something. Nah, now that I think about it, it's probably best not to; Yuuko might spill it on me again. Actually, when I glance at Yuuko, she's just standing there, watching me eat as she plays with her fidgety fingers. Maybe she should sit down or something.

"Hey, why don't you sit with me?" I ask her. My question catches her completely off-guard, since she winces back from my suggestion. Yeah, she should really need to calm down, she seems stressed to the point of having a breakdown. And when that happens, things aren't gonna be pretty...

"What? Oh, no I can't do that; I shouldn't be lounging around with a customer! There might be other customers I have to attend to!" Yuuko quickly declines my invitation. C'mon, don't be a buzzkill! You need to take your mind off that stress, or else it's gonna eat away at you from the inside.

"Oh don't worry about it." I say casually with a wave of my hand. "There hasn't been a customer since I came in, and you just opened too. You should take this time to relax, at least. And if customers do come by, your free to just up and leave. I won't force you."

I know I said that being lax wouldn't help your job, but neither will being a wreck. It's better to let her recharge from her last job so she has a better time dealing with the graveyard shift. But damn, I got to give her respect for working midnight hours, especially during school days. I wonder if her sleeping schedule is normal. It would explain a lot of things...

"I... um, well..." Yuuko hesitates, looking at the entrance as if there would be a customer there. But the only thing that seemed to be there was my shoes. "All right..." With that, Yuuko takes a seat across from me. All right, good. I actually wanted to talk to her. But first...

"Here." I say, pushing the plate of sandwiches to her. She gives me a confused look. It speaks for itself, doesn't it? "You're probably hungry. You should eat it. They taste really good." With that, I take another chomp of my sandwich. Well, at least the maker got it right; there's turkey, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, cheese... bread... the usual. Yuuko smiles at my last sentence.

"Thank you. I'm the one who made them." Oh. Wait, then is she manning the kitchen as well? Despite the shot at sexism, why is she the only one in here? There's gotta be more than one waitress around here, even a waiter. No wonder this girl's stressed; she's practically stuck doing work all by herself everyday. That's gotta suck.

But in all honesty, I have nothing else to add to her statement. A few minutes pass by in silence until we start to engage in small talk.

The night continues...

* * *

The Shanghai has gotten a little packed after 9:30. Probably that 'Happy Hour' type of thing. I don't know, people just like eating out late. Actually, I guess you can't consider this place somewhere to eat out, just somewhere to drink tea and relax.

I've been waiting for hours for the dastardly duo to show up, but they haven't appeared yet, like they just left the face of the Earth. I sigh and look at my pocket watch.

… It's past curfew. At least Naomi told me when the curfew is. Considering that it's now after curfew, I'm guessing that the two forgot all about this little get together and decided to sleep at their dorms... We should of exchanged phone numbers...

Feeling that it should be time to leave, I decide to call up the quirky waitress. She comes rushing around to my table, probably expecting me to order more sandwiches. I stayed here for awhile, so I just mostly ate and talked with Yuuko about school.

"It's past curfew, so I think I'm done for tonight." I say as I stretch my arms up in the air. I would love to stick around, but it doesn't seem I'll be able to talk to Yuuko anymore tonight. It's fine, I suppose, my body feels heavy and exhausted anyways.

"Oh, all right. I'll go get your check." She says, before making her way to the counter in the center of the tea house. Well, I'm happy to see that Yuuko is actually a little more calm with her serving. Oh boy, I hope I didn't order too much that I won't be able to pay. Hopefully, that spilled tea won't be charged. But it probably will, with my luck.

Yuuko comes back with the check and I quickly look for the total price.

… It's quite a bit, but not too much. If Naomi and Natsume were here, they'd probably have drained my money. But at least I have some to spare, if I want to come back here again. I put the money in the little black folder—the exact amount—and an extra tip for the lovely waitress.

I get up from my seat and make my way to the door, with Yuuko following behind me. I guess we're gonna say our farewells then.

"I must thank you again for escorting me here. It was quite interesting." I say, giving out my thanks in a form of a goodbye. I'm not gonna lie though, this whole experience today was interesting. I'm not sure if it can get more eventful than this, but I don't want to put words into my mouth.

"The pleasure is all mine, Tai. Please come by here again." She says, taking a deep and quick bow. Although it surprised the heck out of me, I won't deny that I chuckled a bit.

"Of course. I'll also be sure to visit the library again as well." I pause. There's silence between the two of us. I'm about to say something really embarrassing for myself, so my second-nature comes in and I scratch the back of my neck. "You, uh, stay safe out there, Yuuko. And make sure to get some rest."

God, I must sound really awkward! That's, like, the worst goodbye ever. But Yuuko doesn't seem to mind, as she seems to have taken it to heart.

"You too, Tai. Be careful going back to the school." She says with such a bright smile that it even causes me to smile. I guess it makes sense for her to be concerned for my safety. Don't want to just randomly get jumped during the night. Oh wait, this isn't the ghetto...

Well, since that one was pretty much a goodbye, decide to turn to the door. I guess it's time to go to the dorm. I open the door, but find myself not moving. For some reason, I look back at Yuuko. She's just waiting for me to leave, with the sweetest smile on her face. I guess I was so entranced by the sight that I forget that I was staring at her. And, for another odd reason, it makes me smile.

"Good night, Yuuko." I say, before finally exiting the tea house and into the dark abyss known as the night.

* * *

Jeez, it's cold! What's really worse is that my right thigh is feeling the coldest, thanks to the spilled tea. Also, it's really freaking dark in Japan. Maybe it's because we're in more of the countryside, but I swear I can hear Cicadas in the distance.

That last minute at the Shanghai keeps replaying in my head. I just can't stop thinking about it. Was I creepy? Was I dorky? Was I being too nice? All these things running through my mind, just thinking about what Yuuko may have thought of me. I'm not sure if she even knows much about me, we only talked about school in that tea house.

Speaking of which, she told me about this big thing that's supposed to happening in a few days. No one told me about this, but apparently we're having a school festival. What we're gonna do for it and who's setting it up is beyond me. I don't remember seeing much things out at the courtyard of the school, so they're probably just getting around to it now. Maybe Naomi and Natsume were doing that earlier today.

Speaking of them, I didn't even see either of them since this afternoon. What the hell, guys?! If you're gonna make plans, at least follow through with them. Like I said before, we should have exchanged phone numbers, in case something happened and there was a change of plans. Shouldn't they have learned that the last time, when I got hit by Emi?

Speaking of Emi, I haven't seen her at all. I still remember her stating that she'll, 'Make it up to me,' but how? I guess I can only let my imagination run wild until the time comes, I suppose.

… I wonder who that Hanako girl is. Lilly seemed to have known her, as well as Yuuko. I didn't bother asking Yuuko about it, since it didn't cross my mind. So, why am I wondering about it now? In fact, why am I wondering about everything that's been going on for the last two days? I guess it's just to remind myself. It's always good to think, it's what keeps you alive.

I'm about halfway there, I just have to make it up the hill. And by hill, I mean it's about a three minute walk from the bottom to the school. Since my body feels a little heavier than usual, I decide to sit down at the bus stop bench.

I plop my self on the end of the bench and lean back. I decide that it might also be worth it to check the time too.

… Great, looks like I might have to sneak my way into school now. Since Naomi said that there are guards and security that roams around to find any 'mischievous' students lurking through the night, then I'm going to have to Solid Snake this shit.

My attention is then caught by the sound of breathing. Breathing that's not mine. I look left and right for the source, but it's too dark to make out much of anything. Thinking that the breathing might be from someone on the bench with me, me eyes follow the bench until I see the other end of it.

From what I can guess, it seems like someone's sleeping while slouching over. From what they're wearing, I'm guessing they're a female student. A female student from Yamaku. What the hell is a disabled girl doing here, sleeping on the bus stop bench after curfew?

"Psst, hey!" I here a voice calling out to me in a whisper. It sounds like a guy's voice. Looking around, I'm trying to find the origin of the voice. "Next to you. In the bushes." He's trying to tell me where he is, or more like he just told me where he is.

Curiosity taking over me, I decide check who it is. Is it Hisao? No, it can't be him, what would he be doing out this late? Maybe Hanato? Probably, but then he would've just called me by my name. Getting closer to the bush, I crouch down and try to peer inside it.

"Uh, hello?" I ask. Why the hell is a bush talking to me? Either I am way too tired, or Japan really is a crazy place. Suddenly, a hand reaches out from the bush and grabs my tie, pulling my into the shrubbery. Gah, what the hell?! Is someone trying to kidnap me?!

My curiosity is then satisfied—maybe satisfied isn't the best word, but more like fulfilled—once I see who the culprit is. Since I can see the green all around him, I can tell he's a student of Yamaku. What's with all these students breaking curfew?! I can't really say I don't do it myself, but damn, I didn't know there was more.

"What the hell do yo-" My yelling is suddenly cut off his hand covering my mouth. What the fuck?! What the fuck do you think you're doing?! There better not be any chloroform on your hand, asshole!

"Who are you?! Are you one of those spies that they're sending after me?!" The students interrogates me in a whispering voice. What the hell are you talking about?! Are you fucking crazy?! Spies? What spies? And would you get your hand off of me! I mutter all these things behind the student's hands. Even after that, he still persists on keeping his hand on my mouth. You know, if you want me to answer, you're going to have to take your hand off of me.

Eventually, he does take his hand off from my mouth, and I get up from the ground. Observing the scene is a rather odd sight; a male student with unkempt black hair and a red and gold striped scarf, kneeling behind a bushel to watch a sleeping female student... I really don't know what else to say.

"What the hell's your problem?!" I yell back in a whispering tone. That's because: 1. I don't want to cause a scene, and 2. I don't want to wake up that sleeping girl. The student turns to me, and I can see that he has large, tinted glasses. It looks oddly familiar.

"You should be answering my question first! Are you one of those double-agent feminist spies?!" The man questions me. What the fuck is the guy even talking about?! Feminist spies?! Is this guy high?!

"'Feminist spies'?! What are you talking about?!"

"Don't play coy with me! I know that you work for the feminists as some kind of slave, wanting their unachievable love!" What the actual fuck?! Does this guy even know that he's saying these ridiculous things?

"I don't even know what you're talking about! What you're saying is just ridiculous!"

"Ridiculous?! Ridiculous?!" Oh no, what have I done? "You think that the feminist agenda taking over the world and the male population is ridiculous?! You don't think that these feminists don't already know everything about you; you're name, date of birth, age, social security, fingerprints, even the day you first learned how to use chopsticks, they know almost everything! But if you're smart, like me, you would have completely gone under their radar by keeping tabs and staying secluded. And since I've never heard of you before, I'm guessing you've done the same, right? Or are you some kind of spy?"

What the fuck did I just listen to?

He finishes his tangent by getting up close to my face, his nose nearly inches away from mine. Whoa, there dude, personal space!

"Look here, man. I don't know what the hell you do in your personal time, but I'm not a part of it. Hell, I didn't even know about this feminist agenda stuff; I just transferred here yesterday from America." I say, trying to completely derail and crash the train of this topic so I don't have to listen to another one of his rants again.

"America, huh..." He says, his face still up close to mine. Eww, his breath smells horrible, like garlic. Does this guy even brush his teeth? He then does two sniffs, still remaining up close to me. Is this fucker smelling me? What the hell?! "Yep, you definitely smell like you're from America." He says, seemingly to have calmed down. You can just tell that I'm not from here because of the way I smell? That's... I can't really argue with you there... "My fellow colleagues say that America is the main central for intelligence on feminists. Unfortunately, Japan is the main head of battle with these feminists, with Europe falling second. It's good to see that they sent an intelligence operative to fight in the front lines."

"Yeah, right..." I say, feeling like I'm stuck to a rock in hard place. I suppose I should roll with it; if I end up pissing him off again, he'll go on another tirade. "Anyways, the name's-"

"Shh! Wait, stop, you shouldn't reveal your name!" He immediately interrupts me. "Neither of us can reveal our names!"

"What? Why not?" I ask. No really, why not? It's rather late and it's after curfew, and the only closest person is a sleeping girl, who somehow isn't awakened by this.

"That's because one of their main operatives is right there!" He says, pointing at the girl sleeping on the bench. "I've been observing her for an hour now, and she hasn't moved. She's most likely baiting an unsuspecting agent so she could take him back to her base for further testing and research! It only makes sense." No actually, that makes no sense whatsoever. But hey, whatever floats your anti-feminist boat.

"So, what do you suppose we do?" I ask. I don't even know why I'm playing along with this. My exhausted mind has just given up on trying to resist anymore. The bespectacled student thinks for a bit before answering.

"Well, since you were able to approach her close enough without her even noticing, then that must mean you were able to bypass her trap. Therefore, making her a now easy target. You should take her back to your base and do further research on these feminist." What kind of convoluted plan is this?! I'm not some kind of mad scientist, I don't experiment and interrogate people, what the fuck?!

"What?! Why don't you do it?!" I rebuttal. If anything he should be doing it! I don't want to be blamed for kidnapping a female student. If anything, I do _not_ want to go to prison!

"Me?! Hell no, man! I have to look out for my own back! If I have her in my custody, all the main feminist leaders would be all over me and bashing down my door!" The scarf-wearing student protests. What the hell?! You want me to do _you're_ dirty work for the sake of security?! That's fucked up!

"Then what am I supposed to do when they're bashing down my doors?!"

"I don't know; you're from America, you should know how to handle those types of situations!" What the-! I'm not even sure if that's just plain crazy or racist. "Plus, you're expendable." Wow... Wow, okay... I see how it is, you assbasket. You know what, fine; I give up! It's just too tiring trying to argue with this guy.

"Ugh, fine, whatever. I'll do it." I say, still not happy about this. Why did this have to happen? Is this what it feels like to be chosen? Why does it feel so idiotic?

"Good. I've got you're back if the trap triggers." The man says, pretty pumped about this whole thing. Some people are just true psychos, huh? How are people like him not in insane asylums?

I get up from our hiding position and make my way to the bench. I can't believe I'm doing this shit. I look back to the anti-feminist, who just waves me to keep moving forward. Slowly approaching the still sleeping student, I stop right in front of her. At least from here, I can get a better look at her.

Squinting my eyes to see through the darkness, I realize that the unconscious figure has short, light blue hair, and a knee brace. Wait... she's... she's that chick from my class! Yeah, that's right, she's the one that's always last to leave because she's sleeping all the time. Wait a minute, if she's here after curfew because she was sleeping, and she's always sleeping during and at the and of class, then does she have a sleeping disorder? I mean, it makes sense when you think about it, right? Huh, and I just thought it had something to do with her knee.

I can't just leave her out here sleeping at the bus stop, completely vulnerable. And there's no way in hell I'm giving her over to the anti-feminist agent. Besides, there's no way he'd want to anyway, since he was protesting that I had to do this.

Well, I have to do _something_! I have to...

* * *

**Option 1: Take her back to my room.**

** Option 2: Take her back to her room.**

* * *

_Tenshi: Hey there, reader! I guess it's time for another choice. So which one will you choose? Make sure you choose every decision wisely, as it not only affects the dialogue, but it may also affect who's route you'll end up taking._

_ Tenshi: Just thought I'd let you know there would have been a few different lines and a slightly different scene if you would chosen the other option. So it seems that those lines and that scene will be forever lost... Or will they?_

_ Tenshi: Well, I shall await for your reviews and choices for today's __chapter._

_ Tenshi: Until then, keep reading on!_


End file.
